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UC-NRLF 


(Sift  of 


iOnitrutimt  Club 


5  PI  DEpjg 


NO"^ 


CLASS 
ACC 


NURSING  vs.  DOSING 


A  Treatise  on  the  care  of  Dogs  in  Health 
and  Disease 


BY   S.    T.    HAMMOND 
(shadow) 

Author  of  Training  vs.  Breaking,  etc. 


NEW   YORK 
FOREST  AND   STREAM    PUBLISHING   COMPANY 

1897 


<        «      « 


Copyright,  1897,  by  the 
Forest  and  Stream  Publishing  Company. 


tcl 


CONTENTS. 

Page 

Introduction, 9 

CHAPTER  I. 

Importance  of  Nursing — Cleanliness — Out  of 
Sorts, 13 

CHAPTER  II. 
Dam  and  Puppies, 32 

CHAPTER  III. 
Diet, 43 

CHAPTER  IV. 
Other  Foods, 51 

CHAPTER  V. 
Kennel  and  Exercise,    -----         60 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Common  Ailments  —  Teething  —  Diarrhoea — 
Convulsions — Epilepsy — Distemper — Eczema 
— Need  of  Proper  Care — Sour  Stomach — Ver- 
min— Canker  of  the  Ear — Mange — The  Nerv- 
ous System — Abscesses — Colic — Worms,       -    62 


INDEX. 

Page 

Abscesses, ^39 

Affections,  Nervous, --  ^^ 

Acid,  Carbolic, io5,  122 

Acid,  Sulphurous, 122 

Air,  Pure, ^^ 

Areca  Nut,    - 149-  I50 

Bathing,  -         -       26 

Beginners, 10.  19 

Biscuits,  Dog, 5° 

Bittersweet, 37 

Bones, 55,  63,  65,  157 

Box,  Lying-in,       --------  35 

Broth,  Mutton, .       67 

Brushing,       ---------  25 

Buckthorn,  Syrup  of, ■       y^,  I49 

Canker,         -'------      49-  ^6,  no,  114 

Charcoal,  --- 50 

Chorea,  ..-.-----         128 

Cleanliness, ^5 

Colds, -         -         -       7S,  81,  85 

Colic, ^44 

Conditioning, ^9 

Constipation, 89,  90,  126 

Contagion,     --- ^32 

Convalescence, '9 

Convulsions, "9 

Cautery, -^53 

Dam, 33,   34 

Deafness, -         '         "         -ii7 

Debility, Sy,  94 

Dentrifice, ^5 


6  Index. 

Page 

Diagnosis, ^9 

Diarrhcea, ^^ 

Diet,  Vegetable, 59 

Digestion, 27 

Dirt,       -         -         -         -  25 

Dislocations,      -         -         -         -         -         -         -         -         -I59 

Distemper, 47.   73 

Distemper,  Diet, 77 

Distemper,  Relapse, 82 

Distemper,  Symptoms  of, 7^,  83,  84 

Dogs,  Care  of,       -        - 92 

Dogs,  Mad,       -        -        - -     135 

Dogs,  Pet,     -         -         -        - 99 

Dogs,  Sensitive-         -         - ^7 

Dosing,  ..-------  47 

Dysentery -07 

Eczema,         ---------  00 

Eggs, 68 

Epilepsy, 70,  136 

Exercise, 27,  28,  30,  60.  127 

Fat,  Antidote, 22 

Fish, 55 

Flour,  Beef, 55 

Flour,  Wheat, 57 

Food, 24,  30,  32,  33,  49,  51 

Gums,  Softening  of, 66 

Hair, 26 

Indigestion, 39 

Insecticides, 103 

Iodine,     -         -  16,  141 

Kennel, 60.  105 

Ligature, ^53 

Liver,  Ra\T, -  80 

Mange, 91.  ii7.  "9 


Index, 


I 


Page 

Mad  Dog,     - 135 

Meal,  Bone,      -         -         - 50 

Meal,  Corn,  -         -         -         -         -         -         -         -     54,   56 

Meal,  Oat,        ---------       57 

Meal,  Rye,   ---------  57 

Meals,  Regular,        --------       96 

Meat,   Tainted,     --------  49 

Medicine, 14.  22,  log,  149 

Mercury,       --------  105,  117 

Milk,        -         -         -         -         -         -         -  22,  40,  41,  43,  45,  67 

Milk  Glands,         --------  37 

Milk,   Lapping,  --------44 

Milk,  Sour,  -         -         -         -         -         -         -         -   46,  151 

Morphine,         ---------     107 

Mutton,         ---------  53 

Naphtha,  ---------      104 

Nursing,        ------  15.  i7,  19.  75.  129 

Nursing  Bollle,         --■•-----43 

Oil,  Castor, -         -     67,   80 

Oil,  Cod  Liver,  -------         79,   82 

Oil,  Sweet,    -         -         -         -         -         -         -         -    76,   80,  149 

Oi!  of  Fern,     -------       76,   149,   150 

Opium,  ---------         106 

Paralysis,  -------       79,    125,   138 

Parasites, -         iiS,    123 

Perspiration,     -         -         -         --         -         -         -         -25 

Pet,  Pampered,     --------  97 

Physic, -       13 

Plethora,        ---------  71 

Poisoning,   Ivy,         -         -         -         --         -         -         -77 

Pork, -         -  54 

Pregnancy,        ---------34 

Puppies,        -         -         -         -         -         -         -         -       34,  3S,  43 

Quacks, -.--.18 


8  Index. 

Page 

Quinine, _-.-  6S 

Rabies,     -         -         -         -         -         -         -         -         -         -     I33 

Remedies,  Variability  of,       -----         -  130 

Sage, 37 

Salt, 99 

Salts,  Epsom,  -         -         -         -         -         -         -    88,  90,  98,  143 

Scraps,  Beef, 54 

Soapsuds,-         -         -         -         -         -         -         -         -II  3>  142 

Soda,  Bicarbonate, loi 

Stitching,  -         -         -         -         -         -         -         -  -156 

Stomach,  Dog's,  -.------  53 

Stomach,  Sour,  .._.----     100 

Sugar, -  99 

Sulphur,  -         - 40,   89 

Sunlight, 61 

Surfeit, -         -         -         -         40,  90 

Sweetmeats, 9^ 

Symptoms, -19 

System,  Nervous, -         124 

Tartar, 65 

Teeth,  Permanent, -  63 

Teething,  .-.-----         62,  69 

Tongue,   Medical, -  13 

Tripe,  Beef, 54 

Undershot,  - 64 

Vaccination, 84 

Vegetables, --  57 

Vermin,  ---------  -     loi 

Vermin,  Eggs  of,  .......         104 

Warts, -         -         -     153 

Water,  Lime,        ..-.-.--  38 

Whelping,        -         -  -         - 36 

Wine,  Blackberry,         .---.--  69 

Worms,  -         -        -         41,  47,  49.  7o.  126,  147    151,  152.  156 


!  e      o      3    J 


INTRODUCTION;'       -  v, 

More  than  half  a  century  has  passed 
since  I  gave  the  first  dose  of  medicine  to 
my  dog.  Since  that  time,  I  regret  to  say, 
deep  under  the  sod  Hes  many  a  victim  of 
mistake  —  not  willful,  nor  repeated  when 
the  truth  was  learned,  but  still  mistake 
that  cost  me  dear,  as  I  ever  deeply  loved 
my  pets.  In  the  course  of  time  I  learned 
by  sad  experience  that  many  of  the  books 
that  I  looked  to  for  light  were  but  ignis 
fatiius  that  led  me  on  to  the  destruction 
of  my  pets  and  the  ruin  of  my  hopes. 

After  discovering  that  something  was 
radically  wrong,  I  earnestly  set  out  to 
learn  the  why  and  the  wherefore,  mean- 
time   refraining    from    administerinp-    any 


lO  Introduction. 

powerful  drug  or  medicine  of  any  kind  to 
my  dogs.  During  this  period,  although  I 
may  not  have  learned  much  from  lectures 
.or.  books,  I  did  learn  from  my  dogs  that 
nature  was  so  far  superior  to  me  in  bring- 
ing .them  through  Jtheir  ailments  all  right, 
that  it  was  better  for  me,  and  very  much 
better  for  them,  to  follow  in  her  footsteps. 
This  little  work,  however,  makes  no  pre- 
tensions to  anything  of  a  scientific  nature, 
but  simply — as  its  title  indicates — shows 
the  unscientific  reader  just  how  to  take 
care  of  his  dog  by  a  humane  and  rational 
method  of  treatment  that  will  very  often 
keep  him  free  from  the  ills  that  are  com- 
mon to  dog  life.  No  claim  is  to  be  found 
in  these  pages  that  there  is  an  infallible 
panacea  for  all  or  any  of  the  diseases  to 
which  dogs  are  subject ;  but  the  claim  is 
made  that  a  careful  study  of  Nursing  vs. 
Dosing,  and  an  intelligent  application  of  the 
principles  and  rules  laid  down,  will  prove  to 
be  of  inestimable  value  to  the  dog  owner 


Introduction,  1 1 

by  assisting  him  to  preserve  the  health  of 
his  pet.  Since  the  time  when  my  dogs 
taught  me  my  lesson,  whenever  they 
have  been  ailing  I  go  very  slowly  toward 
the  medicine  chest,  and  when  I  do  open  it  I 
am  very  chary  about  using  its  contents. 

Careful  nursing,  with  simple,  harmless 
remedies,  for  the  ordinary  ailments  that 
dogs  are  subject  to,  is  all  that  is  required  to 
bring  them  safely  through  in  a  very  large 
majority  of  cases.  I  have  always  believed 
in  and  practiced  careful  nursing  for  my 
dogs  when  they  were  ailing.  Knowledge 
of  the  simple  remedies  used,  for  the  greater 
part  at  least,  has  been  gleaned  from  others 
throuorhout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the 
land,  together  with  lots  of  knowledge  of 
what  not  to  do  ;  indeed,  the  latter  I  believe 
to  have  been  of  greater  benefit  to  my  dogs 
than  the  former.  How  often  have  I  been 
assured  that  a  certain  medicine  or  course 
of  treatment  was  an  infallible  specific  in 
certain  cases,  when  I  knew,  or  soon  learned, 


1 2  Introduction. 

that  It  was  the  very  worst  thing  or  treat- 
ment that  could  possibly  be  resorted  to. 
Occasionally,  however,  I  have  stumbled 
upon  something  that  has  proven  to  be  of 
great  value — simple  perhaps,  but  effica- 
cious. 

The  results  of  more  than  fifty  years  of 
experience  are  here  given,  and  I  assure 
the  reader  that  no  course  of  conduct  is  ad- 
vised, no  treatment  recommended,  no  rem- 
edy prescribed,  that  has  not  been  thor- 
oughly tried  and  tested  by  the  writer,  and 
is  believed  to  be  entirely  trustworthy  in 
every  respect. 

I  sincerely  trust  that  a  perusal  of  these 
pages  will  induce  a  trial  of  the  methods 
described,  and  that  the  result  will  be  less- 
ened pain  and  added  comfort  and  happi- 
ness for  man's  best  friend. 


CHAPTER  L 

Importance  of  Nursing* 

''"T^HROW  physic  to  the  dogs"  is  an  old 
-■■  saying  that  appears  to  be  a  prime 
favorite  with  many  owners  of  dogs,  who, 
upon  the  sHghtest  Indication  of  anything 
belne  amiss  with  the  animals  under  their 
care,  literally  drench  and  purge  the  unfor- 
tunate creatures  by  cramming  down  their 
throats  pernicious  drugs  that,  nine  times 
out  of  ten,  do  more  harm  than  good. 

One  of  the  ancient  Roman  writers  of  re- 
nown claimed,  among  other  attributes  be- 
longing to  the  dog,  that  he  Is  possessed  of 
a  "medical  tongue" — ''hi  cants  bis  bena  et 
lingua  medicinaj^  etc.  Thus  we  see  that  In 
the  olden  time,  dogs  and  medicine  were  not 


14  Nursing  vs.  Dosing. 

unacquainted.  It  Is  to  me  a  question 
whether  the  desire  to  administer  medicine 
to  the  unfortunate  dog,  that  seems  to  be 
implanted  In  every  human  heart,  Is  a  nat- 
ural Instinct,  Inherent  In  the  human  race 
from  Adam  down,  or  something  for  which 
we  are  Indebted  to  the  old  Romans,  along 
with  many  other  bits  of  civilization  which 
we  pride  ourselves  In  possessing. 

I  believe  It  to  be  Incontrovertlbly  true 
that  more  dogs  are  actually  killed  by  so- 
called  medicine  administered  to  them  by 
inexperienced  owners  than  are  benefited 
thereby.  Indeed,  It  is  rare  that  any  dog  is 
benefited  by  the  remedies  prescribed  by  a 
person  unpractlced  in  medical  science.  In 
a  letter  received  some  years  ago  from  the 
late  Mr.  Ethan  Allln  he  says  :  *'I  believe 
many  more  dogs  are  killed  by  dosing  than 
would  die  if  left  to  themselves  without  any 
medicine  whatever." 

A  dog  doctor  in  New  York,  who  claims 
to  be  a  veterinarian  in  good  standing,  and 


hnportance  of  Nursing.  15 

who  has  had  for  years  an  extensive  prac- 
tice, once  told  me  that  when  he  had  a  case 
that  he  did  not  quite  understand — which 
occurred  very  often — his  only  treatment 
was  careful  nursing,  with  no  medicine  what- 
ever, except  when  the  patient  was  outside, 
to  satisfy  the  owner,  he  gave  a  small  bottle 
of  water,  colored  with  some  harmless  sub- 
stance, with  directions  to  give  two  or  three 
drops  three  times  daily,  with  no  other 
medicine  whatever,  at  the  same  time  in- 
sisting upon  proper  nursing,  diet,  fresh 
air,  etc.  This  treatment,  he  claimed,  had 
broueht  him  more  dollars  and  fame  than 
all  the  druofs  he  had  ever  used,  and,  added 
he,  apparently  with  heartfelt  conviction  : 
"I  honestly  believe  that,  in  a  very  large 
majority  of  cases,  careful  and  intelligent 
nursing,  without  a  particle  of  medicine,  will 
prolong  the  lives  as  well  as  preserve  the 
health  of  twice  the  number  of  animals  that 
will  survive  the  common  system  of  treat- 
ment." 


1 6  Nursing  vs.  Dosing. 

For  the  medical  profession  I  entertain 
the  most  profound  respect,  and  nothing  In 
these  pages  can  be  construed  to  reflect  In 
the  least  upon  the  practice  of  the  "healing 
art"  by  the  duly  qualified  practitioner. 
Neither  will  anything  be  found  in  dispar- 
agement of  any  drug  found  In  the  pharma- 
copoeia, nor  of  Its  use,  with  few  exceptions, 
in  canine  practice  when  It  is  prescribed  by 
one  who  is  qualified  to  judge  from  the 
symptoms  just  what  is  required.  But  what 
I  do  most  emphatically  condemn  is  the  ad- 
ministering of  any  drug  to  canine  or  human 
sufferer  by  anyone  not  thoroughly  qualified 
to  know  from  the  nature  of  the  disease  the 
proper  remedy  to  apply. 

There  is  nothing  that  is  more  fascinating 
to  the  average  owner  of  dogs — especially  if 
a  beginner — than  the  practice  of  the  heal- 
ing art  upon  the  helpless  and  often  unfor- 
tunate animals  that  are  under  his  care. 
While  It  Is  true  that  the  feelings  which 
prompt  the  fancier  to  try  to  minister  to  the 


Importance  of  Nursing,  1 7 

apparent  or  imaginary  ills  of  his  charge  are 
most  creditable  to  his  heart,  it  is,  alas! 
also  true  that  the  result  of  the  anxious, 
owner's  efforts,  in  very  many  instances,  end 
most  disastrously  for  the  object  of  his 
solicitude,  whose  life  or  health  is  destroyed 
by  the  very  means  that  are  used  to  accom- 
plish directly  opposite  results. 

Nursing,  instead  of  dosing   the  human 
patient  who  is  a  little  under  the  weather, 
will  very  often  bring  one  through  threat- 
ened trouble  all  right.      That  the  same  is 
strikingly  true  regarding  the  canine  patient 
I  have  for  many  years  been   thoroughly 
convinced.      Dogs,  whether  of  high  or  low 
deo-ree,  with  very  rarely  an  exception,  are 
wonderfully  sensitive  to  the  treatment  they 
receive  from  those  who  have  the  care  of 
them.      A  kind  or  a  reproachful  word  will 
raise  them  to  the  heaven  of  delight  or  sink 
them  in  the  slough  of  despondency.      How 
all-important  is  it  then  that  we  should  treat 
them  at  all  times,  but  more  especially  when 


1 8  Nursing  vs.  Dosing. 

they  are  ailing,  with  the  greatest  care  and 
consideration,  in  order  that  their  minds 
may  be  free  from  care  and  worry,  that  they 
may  be  in  the  best  possible  condition  to 
assist  nature  in  withstanding  and  throwing 
off  threatened  ills.  How  often  is  the  mind 
of  the  human  patient  won  back  to  peace- 
ful calm  from  its  state  of  brooding  despond- 
ency by  endearing  words  of  affection  and 
gentle  touch  of  loving  hands,  as  disturbing 
wrinkles  are  deftly  smoothed  from  aching 
brow  and  comfortless  pillow !  A  loving 
word  and  gentle  touch  are  often  of  greater 
benefit  to  the  suffering  patient  than  the 
most  potent  drug  that  can  be  administered. 
Think  of  this  when  your  dog  is  ailing,  and 
leave  nothing  undone  that  will  tend  to 
soothe  his  mind  or  minister  to  his  bodily 
comfort. 

There  is  nothing  more  destructive  to  the 
life  and  health  of  man  or  beast  than  the 
administering  of  drugs  and  medicines  by 
practitioners  who  are  not  only  ignorant  of 


Importance  of  Nursing,  1 9 

the  effect  produced  by  their  so-called  reme- 
dies, but  are  also  incapable  of  determining, 
from  the  symptoms  shown  by  the  patient, 
the  proper  remedy  to  prescribe.  As  a 
rule,  the  published  description  of  the 
symptoms  shown  by  the  victim  of  almost 
any  ill  that  flesh  is  heir  to  is  most  mislead- 
ing to  anyone  not  qualified  by  thoughtful 
study  and  large  experience  to  understand 
the  often  very  nice  distinctions  which  are 
almost  invariably  necessary  to  determine, 
in  diagnosing,  even  the  simplest  case. 

When  we  take  into  consideration  the  fact 
that  eminent  specialists,  who  have  many 
advantages  that  laymen  cannot  secure  and 
who  are  peculiarly  fitted  for  their  calling, 
are  often  at  fault  in  diagnosing  a  case,  we 
should  be  absolutely  sure  that  the  case  is 
perfectly  understood  before  attempting  to 
prescribe  for  it. 

How  often  does  the  man  who  is  ailing 
take  down  the  family  doctor's  book,  and 
after  reading  the  description  of  some  oc- 


20  Nursing  vs.  Dosing, 

cult  disease,  that  perhaps  our  largest  hos- 
pitals very  rarely  see  —  the  description 
couched  In  language  that  he  cannot  under- 
stand— imagine  that  this  just  fits  his  case ; 
and  between  the  remedies  advised  and  the 
fright  he  receives  he  becomes  seriously  ill 
and  perhaps  comes  to  an  untimely  end.  If 
these  results  happen  In  his  own  case,  how 
much  more  likely  is  he  to  err  in  the  case  of 
his  dog,  when,  of  course,  his  deductions  are 
drawn  from  observation,  frequently  de- 
lusive, and  from  symptoms  that  he  does 
not  understand. 

Therefore,  when  your  dog  is  ailing,  and 
proper  care  and  nursing  seem  to  be  un- 
availing to  relieve  him,  instead  of  pouring 
down  his  throat  drugs  that  may  prove  to 
be  just  what  he  should  not  have,  it  is  much 
the  better  plan  to  call  in  the  services  of  an 
experienced  veterinarian;  or,  if  one  in  whom 
you  have  confidence  is  not  available,  con- 
sult your  family  physician,  who  will  In  most 
cases  know  what  to  do,  or,  at  all  events, 


Importance  of  Nursing,  2 1 

he  will  know  what  not  to  do,  which   will 
answer  nearly  as  well. 

Although  I  have  the  greatest  respect  for 
our  medical  institutions,  and  the  utmost 
confidence  in  the  skill  of  their  graduates, 
there  is  one  very  serious  charge  that  I 
must  bring  against  the  students  of  every 
veterinary  institute  of  which  I  have  any 
knowledge,  and  I  very  much  fear  that  the 
charge  will  hold  against  a  large  majority  of 
those  who  attend  such  institutions  through- 
out  the  world.  The  complaint  I  have  to 
make  is  that  too  scant  attention  is  paid  to 
minor  details,  small  matters  perhaps, .ap- 
parently not  of  much  importance  in  them- 
selves ;  yet  a  knowledge  of  these  is  of  the 
greatest  importance  when  diagnosing  and 
prescribing  for  a  difficult  case.  I  do  not 
wish  to  intimate  that  from  a  medical  stand- 
point any  mistake  will  be  made  in  deter- 
mining from  the  symptoms  just  what  the 
ailment  is,  or  in  the  remedy  to  be  pre- 
scribed ;  but  this  is  very  far  from  being  all 


2  2  Nursing  vs.  Dosing, 

that  is  necessary  for  the  practitioner  to  do 
for  his  patient.  In  many  cases  it  is  of  the 
greatest  importance,  indeed  it  is  often  an 
absolute  necessity,  that  food  or  drink  that 
will  neutralize  the  medicine  prescribed 
should  be  forbidden.  Milk  and  fatty  sub- 
stances are  well-known  antidotes  to  many 
drugs  in  constant  use,  but  the  average  dog 
owner  is,  nine  times  out  of  ten,  ignorant  or 
forgetful  of  this,  even  if  he  has  knowledge 
of  the  medicine  administered.  Many  prac- 
titioners, I  regret  to  say,  have  not  the 
knowledge  necessary  to  impart  these  very 
important  particulars,  owing  to  the  fact  that 
the  above  charge  against  them  is  true. 
They  did  not,  in  their  studies,  pay  proper 
attention  to  the  minor  details  they  thought 
unimportant,  and  are  all  at  sea  on  many 
points  with  which  they  should  be  entirely 
familiar.  The  student  is  not,  however, 
always  to  blame  in  the  matter,  for  many 
of  our  best  known  veterinary  as  well  as 
medical   institutions,   I    regret   to   say,  are 


Importance  of  Nursing,  2.3 

lamentably  deficient  in  Imparting  what  we 
may  call  the  A  B  C  of  medical  instruction. 
In  fact,  so  far  as  my  knowledge  extends,  I 
am  forced  to  believe  that  the  higher  the 
attainments  of  the  professor,  the  less  in- 
clined is  he  to  dwell  on  the  minor  details, 
knowledge  of  which  is  all-important  to  the 
student  when  he  comes  to  practice  his  pro- 
fession. 

Any  physician  of  large  experience  will 
tell  you  that  good  nursing,  in  a  very  large 
proportion  of  cases,  is  of  greater  value  than 
proper  medicine ;  yet  how  few  of  the 
younger  portion  of  the  fraternity  will  have 
a  single  Idea  to  suggest  in  this  direction. 
It  Is  true,  with  regard  to  the  human  patient 
In  a  large  majority  of  cases,  loving  hands 
need  no  instruction  or  prompting  to  smooth 
the  sufferer's  pillow,  but  in  canine  practice 
the  case  Is  different.  ''It  is  only  a  dog" 
often  excuses  neglect  of  the  most  impor- 
tant matters  that,  If  properly  attended  to, 
might  save  the  life  of  the  animal.      How 


"24  Nursing  vs.  Dosmg. 

necessary  then  that  the  veterinarian  should 
be  thoroughly  acquainted  with  all  the  little 
matters  so  necessary  to  the  comfort  and 
welfare  of  his  patients,  and  that  he  should 
see  to  it  that  nothing  is  left  undone  that 
may  prove  to  be  of  benefit  in  arresting  dis 
ease  or  alleviating  pain  and  distress. 

Many  practitioners  are  undoubtedly  pos- 
sessed of  the  necessary  knowledge,  but  un- 
thinkingly withhold  it,  perhaps  in  the  belief 
that  the  owner  may  know  just  what  to  do; 
but  this  is  generally  an  erroneous  con- 
clusion, and  It  is  always  best  to  determine 
this  point  satisfactorily  before  leaving  the 
patient. 

Cleanliness* 

Many  diseases  that  affect  Qogs,  and  cause 
their  owners  no  end  of  worry  and  trouble, 
can  be  almost  entirely  prevented  by  taking 
proper  care  of  the  animal,  and  seeing  that 
Its  quarters  are  at  all  times  cleanly  and  well 
ventilated,  and  that  the  food  given  is  per- 
fectly sweet  and  fresh,  and  of  the  best  qual- 


IniJ>orta7ice  of  JVursing,  25 

Ity.  ''Cleanliness  is  next  to  Godliness"; 
this  maxim  applies  to  the  canine  as  well 
as  the  human  race,  and  absolute  freedom 
from  filth  is  as  necessary  to  the  well-being 
of  your  puppy  as  it  is  to  your  child.  It 
must  not  be  understood,  however,  that  all 
dirt  is  filth,  as  there  is  nothing  more  con- 
ducive to  the  health  of  child  or  dog-  than 

o 

plenty  of  soil  or  sand  for  them  to  play  in 
and  eat  if  they  wish  ;  but  you  must  see  that 
the  ground  is  kept  perfectly  free  from  ex- 
crement and  other  filth.  The  dirt  will  do 
""hem  no  harm,  and  on  no  account  should  a 
ouppy  ever  be  bathed  except  it  be  abso- 
lutely necessary  to  free  him  from  filth. 
Even  grown  dogs,  when  in  health,  can  be 
kept  perfectly  clean  without  resorting  to 
the  constant  washinor  and  scrubbine  that 
some  owners  think  so  necessary.  A  stiff 
brush  in  the  hands  of  one  who  will  use  it 
thoroughly  is  often  much  better  than  a  bath, 
especially  in  cold  weather,  or  even  in  warm 
weather  if  the  dog  is  heated  by  exercise. 


26  Nicrsing  vs.  Dosing, 

Dogs  do  not  perspire  through  the  pores 
of  the  skin,  and  for  this  reason  are  much 
more  easily  kept  sweet  and  clean.  More- 
over, their  hair  is  so  constituted  that  it 
performs  a  very  important  part  in  keeping 
them  free  from  filth.  Each  hair  is  armed 
with  minute  scales  or  teeth,  all  pointing 
outward,  and  with  each  motion  of  the  dog 
each  individual  hair,  rubbing  against  its 
neighbors,  may  be  said  to  make  an  effort 
to  expel  all  dust  and  dirt  from  the  skin  to 
the  surface  of  the  coat.  I  by  no  means 
wish  to  be  understood  as  deprecating  the 
use  of  the  bath  at  proper  times,  but  am 
merely  trying  to  show  that  in  case  of  ne- 
cessity your  dog  can  be  kept  perfectly 
clean  without  it.  A  plunge  into  water  is 
greatly  enjoyed  by  most  dogs,  and  is  of 
benefit  to  them  when  they  are  not  too 
much  heated  by  exercise ;  but  should  they 
from  any  cause  get  wet  while  heated,  no 
bad  results  are  apt  to  follow  if  they  be 
given  a  good  run  after  their  bath 


Importance  of  Nursing.  27 

Exercise  is  one  of  the  most  important 
subjects  which  we  are  called  upon  to  con- 
sider. So  much  has  been  written  and  said 
about  the  value  of  exercise  that  I  will  take 
it  for  granted  that  no  one  is  ignorant  of  its 
necessity  for  the  prolonging  of  life  and  the 
enjoyment  of  health.  Although  in  a  gen- 
eral way  the  average  dog  owner  is  aware  of 
this,  he  is  not  always  aware  just  how  much 
his  dog  really  needs,  nor  of  the  proper 
time  when  he  should  take  it. 

The  stomach  of  the  dog  appears  to  be 
so  constituted  that  absolute  rest  is  required 
after  eating,  in  order  that  the  food  that  has 
been  taken  may  be  properly  digested. 
Exercise  should  therefore  be  very  mod- 
erate just  after  meals,  and  no  work  should 
be  allowed  until  at  least  three  hours  have 
elapsed.  It  has  been  proven  by  experi- 
ment that,  when  a  dog  was  full  fed  and  at 
once  put  to  work,  at  the  end  of  several 
hours  the  food  remained  in  the  stomach  in 
an  undigested  state — the  only  change  being 


28  Nursing  vs.  Dosmg. 

that  there  was  fermentation,  which  in  itself 
would  cause  no  little  distress,  if  not  a  com- 
plete disarrangement  of  the  entire  system. 

There  is  no  animal  that  requires  more 
exercise  than  the  dog,  and  it  is  cruelty  to 
them  to  confine  them  for  weeks  at  a  time, 
as  is  too  often  done,  with  scarcely  an  op- 
portunity to  stretch  thei-r  legs  or  breathe  a 
bit  of  fresh  air.  A  person  who  cannot  take 
proper  care  of  his  dog  is  unfit  to  own  one, 
and  it  is  far  from  proper  care  to  debar 
your  dog  from  the  exercise  so  necessary  to 
keep  him  in  health.  If  you  are  obliged  to 
keep  him  on  chain,  he  should  be  allowed 
his  liberty  for  a  good  run  at  least  twice 
every  day — once  in  the  morning  and  again 
at  night  before  he  is  fed. 

The  very  best  plan  to  adopt,  both  for 
dog  and  master,  is  to  get  up  in  the  morn- 
inof  an  hour  before  the  usual  time  and  de- 
vote  this  hour  to  a  ramble  in  the  fields  with 
your  dog,  or,  if  the  fields  are  too  far  away, 
the  streets  may  be  substituted.      If  this  is 


hnportance  of  Nursing.  29 

tried  for  a  month,  It  will  be  found  to  be  so 
beneficial  to  both  that  it  will  be  very  bad 
weather  or  uncommon  press  of  business 
that  will  cause  the  morning  ramble  to  be 
omitted.  I  have  often  advised  this  course, 
and  invariably  with  the  most  gratifying 
results  both  to  dog  and  master. 

In  this  connection,  it  will  perhaps  not  be 
out  of  place  to  say  that  this  course  is  the 
very  best  one  to  fit  your  pointer  or  setter 
for  his  season's  work  on  game,  to  say 
nothing  of  hardening  your  own  thews  and 
sinews,  and  getting  into  condition  for 
tramping  through  wood  and  field. 

Out  of  Sorts. 

There  Is  an  undefined  but  well-known 
disease,  or  perhaps  I  should  say  complaint, 
that  Is  not  at  all  dangerous  in  itself  If  prop- 
erly treated.  This  in  human  subjects  Is 
known  as  being  ''out  of  sorts."  In  a  very 
large  majority  of  cases  this  condition  is  In- 
duced by  the  long-continued  monotony  of 


30  Nursing  vs.   Dosing. 

their  surroundings.  That  dogs  often  suf- 
fer from  this  complaint  no  one  of  experi- 
ence will  deny.  Neither  can  it  be  gainsaid 
that  this  condition  is  often  the  cause — not 
the  symptom — of  serious  illness,  that  might 
have  been  avoided  by  proper  attention 
when  the  victim  first  showed  signs  of  being 
out  of  sorts.  In  the  kennel  this  complaint 
is  quite  often  induced  by  a  long-continued 
use  of  some  article  of  food — perhaps  nutri- 
tious, healthful,  and  everything  that  could 
be  desired  as  food,  but  its  long-continued 
use  has  destroyed  for  the  patient  all  its 
good  qualities. 

The  lack  of  proper  exercise  is  also  a  fre- 
quent cause  of  this  complaint.  When  hu- 
man or  canine  subject  is  thus  afflicted,  a 
cure  can  nearly  always  be  effected  by  mak- 
ing a  radical  change,  either  in  the  surround- 
ings, pursuits  or  diet  of  the  patient ;  but  the 
better  plan  is  to  so  manage,  by  seasonable 
change,  that  the  surroundings  will  not  tire 
the  eye,  nor  long-continued  pursuits  weary 


Importance  of  Ntirsing,  31 

the  frame,  nor  the  sameness  of  food  cloy 
the  stomach.  If  such  change  Is  carefully 
and  intelligently  attended  to,  neither  you 
nor  your  dog  will  often  suffer  from  being 
out  of  sorts. 

Prevention  of  disease  Is  In  all  cases 
much  better  and  easier  to  accomplish  than 
is  its  cure ;  let  us,  therefore,  so  live  and  so 
order  the  life  of  our  four-footed  friends 
that  both  may  bid  defiance  to  many  of  the 
ills  and  troubles  of  life,  and  with  the  healthy 
vigor  and  strength  engendered  by  our 
course  be  enabled  to  assist  nature  In  ward- 
ing off  serious  harm  from  diseases  that  we 
cannot  escape. 


CHAPTER  IL 

Dam   and   Puppies. 

In  order  to  present  to  the  reader  in  an 
intelligible  manner  the  proper  method  of 
rearing  and  caring  for  his  dog,  we  will  take 
him  in  hand  at  an  early  period  of  his  ex- 
istence ;  or  rather,  we  will  begin  our  course 
of  treatment  a  few  weeks  before  he  enters 
upon  the  stage,  as  the  mother  should  by 
all  means  have  proper  care,  in  order  that 
her  progeny  may  be  ushered  into  the  world 
with  health  and  strength  to  prepare  them 
for  life's  battle. 

The  dam,  at  all  times  during  pregnancy, 
should  have  a  liberal  amount  of  wholesome, 
nutritious  food,  with  plenty  of  water,  and  a 
lar^e  amount  of  exercise;   indeed,  this  is 


Dam  and  Puppies.  33 

indispensable  to  the  future  welfare  of  the 
litter,  and  it  is  much  the  better  plan  to 
allow  her  to  run  entirely  unconfined.  Her 
diet,  for  the  main  part,  should  consist  of 
mutton  broth,  cooked  meat,  oatmeal,  milk 
and  vegetables,  all  to  be  thoroughly  cooked 
except  the  milk — taking  care  not  to  cloy 
her  by  overfeeding  or  long-continued  use 
of  any  one  article  of  food.  During  this 
period  I  believe  it  to  be  a  good  plan  to 
pay  her  particular  attention  by  petting  her 
and  keeping  her  with  you  as  a  companion 
as  much  as  you  conveniently  can,  and,  if  it 
is  possible,  to  work  or  use  her  in  her  par- 
ticular sphere  or  vocation  as  much  as  pos- 
sible. If  a  hunting  dog  of  any  breed,  she 
should  be  often  worked  upon  the  game  she 
is  accustomed  to  hunt,  if  it  is  in  season  ; 
and  even  if  not  in  season,  a  ramble  with  her 
throuo-h  the  woods  or  over  the  fields  will 
be  beneficial  in  giving  her  healthy  exercise. 
I  have  often  at  this  period  hunted  my 
pointers,    setters    and    hounds    up    to    the 


34  N ursine^  vs.  Dosing, 

day  of  whelping,  with   the  best  of  results. 

I  believe  that  the  mother  transmits  to 
her  progeny  something  of  the  thoughts  and 
feelings  that  she  is  possessed  of  while  car- 
rying them ;  but  even  if  this  is  not  the 
case,  the  practice  is  in  itself  most  benefi- 
cial in  keeping  her  in  the  best  possible 
condition  for  the  duties  of  maternity ;  and, 
what  is  of  greater  importance,  this  course 
will  impart  to  her  progeny  vigor  and 
strength  that  will  prove  to  be  a  very  im- 
portant factor  in  bringing  them  safe  and 
sound  through  the  perils  of  their  early 
days. 

As  the  time  approaches  for  the  expected 
litter  to  appear,  the  dam  should  be  accus- 
tomed to  sleep  in  the  place  you  intend  to 
have  her  occupy  with  her  family.  For  this 
purpose  I  have  for  many  years  used,  with 
the  most  satisfactory  results,  a  box  of  suit- 
able size,  say  about  three  and  one-half  feet 
by  four,  and  one  foot  high,  for  a  fifty-pound 
animal.     In  the  bottom  of  this  box  a  strong 


Dam  mid  Puppies.  35 

piece  of  carpet  the  size  of  the  box  Is  firmly 
tacked  down,  and  the  couch  is  placed  in  the 
corner  of  a  box  stall,  or  some  quiet  place, 
where  she  will  not  be  disturbed.  Many  use 
a  bed  of  straw,  shavings  or  sawdust,  but 
these  are  all  objectionable.  Sawdust  is 
especially  so,  as  the  particles  are  very 
annoying  to  the  mother  and  are  positively 
dangerous  to  her  offspring,  as  fragments  of 
the  material  will  adhere  to  the  teats  of  the 
dam,  and  thus  get  into  the  puppies'  mouths 
and  are  swallowed,  causing  irritation  and 
sometimes  death. 

There  is  also  great  objection  to  anything 
for  a  bed  that  will  allow  a  hollow  to  be 
made;  as  the  puppies  will,  of  course,  lie  at 
the  bottom  of  the  depression,  and,  unless 
the  dam  Is  very  careful,  she  will  overlay 
and  sometimes  smother  them — an  accident 
which  very  rarely  happens  when  the  bed  is 
hard  and  level.  Occasionally,  when  the 
dam  is  heedless,  a  puppy  will  get  squeezed 
between  her  and  the  sides  of  the  box ;  but 


36  Nursing  z>s.   Dosing. 

this  can  be  prevented  by  nailing  a  strip  of 
wood  two  inches  square  all  around  the  box 
about  four  inches  from  the  bottom. 

When  time  is  up  and  the  dam  retires  to 
her  lying-in  couch,  she  should  be  left  en- 
tirely alone  for  at  least  two  hours,  when  a 
sly  peep  can  be  taken,  and  if  everything 
appears  to  be  all  right  she  should  be  left 
to  herself.  Should  she,  however,  appear 
to  be  in  much  distress,  it  will  be  well  to 
watch  her  awhile.  Should  the  distress  con- 
tinue, you  had  better  call  in  the  services 
of  a  veterinarian.  This,  however,  will  very 
rarely  be  necessary  if  the  foregoing  advice 
has  been  followed,  and  the  animal  is  in  a 
healthy  condition. 

After  she  has  whelped  there  is  no  neces- 
sity for  any  radical  change,  either  in  diet  or 
care  for  the  dam,  as  nature  will  take  the 
best  possible  care  of  her.  If  the  weather 
is  cold  or  stormy,  it  will  be  better  to  keep 
her  confined  indoors  for  a  few  days,  to  pre- 
vent her  from  takinor  cold.      It  is  also  well 


Da7}i  and  Puppies.  37 

to  take  the  ch'ill  from  her  drinking  water 
for  a  day  or  two. 

Should  she  take  cold  it  may  affect  the 
milk  glands,  causing  swelling  and  inflam- 
mation. The  very  best  remedy  for  this, 
that  I  have  ever  used,  is  sage  ointment, 
made  by  taking  a  good  handful  of  the 
leaves  of  common  garden  sage  (Salvia 
officinalisy,  either  green  or  dry  may  be 
used.  Simmer  them  in  a  small  teacup  of 
lard  for  two  or  three  hours  over  a  slow 
fire,  then  strain  through  muslin  and  set 
aside  to  cool.  It  should  be  applied  hot 
and  plentifully  over  the  swelling,  and  be 
gently  but  well  rubbed  in  three  or  four 
times  daily,  until  improvement  is  manifest, 
always  rubbing  toward  the  teat,  never  in 
any  other  direction.  This  is  also  excellent 
in  human  practice.  If  sage  cannot  be  pro- 
cured, the  bark  of  the  root  of  bittersweet 
{Celastriis  scandens)  may  be  used  instead, 
as  it  is  also  excellent  for  this  purpose,  al- 
though not  quite  so  efficient  as  sage. 


J 


8  Nursing  vs.   Dosing. 


When  the  puppies  are  a  few  days  old,  if 
you  have  a  convenient  place,  their  box 
should  be  placed  on  the  ground  in  a  warm, 
well  ventilated  and  dry  situation,  and  one 
of  the  ends  should  be  knocked  out.  If  in 
warm  weather,  an  open  shed  will  be  the 
very  best  place  for  them  ;  but  if  too  cold  for 
this,  a  box  stall,  with  two  or  three  inches  of 
sand  or  soil  spread  on  the  floor,  will  answer 
very  well,  if  you  will  keep  it  clean  and  free 
from  filth  by  removing  the  places  that  be- 
come foul,  and  sprinkling  fresh  sand  on  the 
surface  occasionally.  With  this  treatment 
the  young  family  will  be  almost  sure  to  en- 
joy perfect  health,  although  they  may  oc- 
casionally show  a  rough  or  dirty  coat. 

With  the  exception  perhaps  of  an  occa- 
sional attack  of  indigestion,  there  is  abso- 
lutely no  ailment  that  is  common  to  nursing 
puppies,  and  even  this  will  very  rarely 
trouble  them  if  the  rules  here  laid  down 
are  strictly  followed.  If,  however,  it  should 
manifest  itself,  lime  water,  given  freely  to 


Dam  and  Puppies.  39 

the  dam,  will  In  nearly  every  case  effect  a 
cure.  This  remedy  can  be  procured  from 
the  druggist,  or  It  can  be  easily  made  by 
putting  Into  a  quart  of  water  a  lump  of 
unslaked  lime  as  large  as  an  ^^^ ;  let  It 
stand  two  or  three  hours,  then  bottle  the 
clear  liquid,  which  will  keep  for  a  long 
time.  The  dose  for  the  dam  Is  a  table- 
spoonful  In  a  teacup  of  milk  three  times 
daily.  One  or  two  days  will  be  sufficient 
unless  In  aggravated  cases. 

The  symptoms  of  indigestion  are  :  list- 
lessness,  loss  of  appetite,  occasionally 
bloating  or  swelling  of  the  abdomen,  and 
diarrhoea.  Undigested  food  will  nearly 
always  appear  In  the  discharges,  which 
should  be  carefully  watched  if  the  trouble 
is  suspected.  In  case  of  an  attack  of  this 
trouble  It  Is  advisable  to  somewhat  restrict 
the  diet  of  the  dam  for  a  few  days,  feeding 
her  mostly  on  mutton  broth  and  milk  that 
has  been  scalded. 

Occasionally  nursing  puppies  are  afflicted 


40  N2irsi7ig  vs.   Dosing. 

with  a  skin  disease  that  somewhat  resem- 
bles mange ;  this  is  usually  a  form  of  sur- 
feit, and  will  generally  disappear  in  a  short 
time  if  you  will  give  the  dam,  twice  a  day 
for  two  or  three  days,  a  piece  of  sulphur 
the  size  of  a  pea,  powdered  fine  and  given 
inside  a  small  piece  of  meat. 

Should  any  accident  occur  by  which  the 
puppies  are  deprived  of  their  natural  suste- 
nance, they  may  be  brought  up  by  hand, 
although  this  entails  considerable  care  and 
trouble  ;   and  it  is  not  advisable  to  under- 
take it  unless  you  have  the  necessary  time 
and  patience,  as,  unless  proper  care  is  given 
them,  they  will  perhaps  die,  or  if  they  live 
they  will  grow  weedy  or  become  stunted, 
and  their  health  and  vitality  so  impaired 
that  they  will  be  very  likely  to  contract  dis- 
ease.     If,  unfortunately,  it  should  become 
necessary  to  bring  them  up  by  hand,  the 
best  possible   food   for  them   is  new   milk 
fresh    from    the    cow.      I    have    used    this 
almost  entirely  in  such  cases  for  more  than 


Dam  and  Puppies.  41 

forty  years  with  most  gratifying  results,  and 
strongly  recommend  it. 

There  is  an  ''old  woman's  fable"  to  the 
effect  that  fresh  cow's  milk  will  breed 
worms  in  puppies.  This  is  as  nonsensical 
as  the  old  fish  story  that  pickerel  are  pro- 
duced from  pickerel  grass. 

I  have  also  read  that  worms  are  trans- 
mitted to  puppies  through  the  medium  of 
the  mother's  milk.  While  this  may  look  a 
little  more  rational,  it  is,  if  possible,  still 
more  absurd,  as  a  slight  acquaintance  with 
the  Immutable  laws  which  orovern  the  re- 
production  of  life  will  conclusively  show. 
It  is  an  incontrovertible  fact  that  no  dog 
was  ever  infested  with  worms  in  his  stom- 
ach or  intestines  unless  he  first  swallowed 
the  eggs  of  the  parasite.  How  the  eggs 
are  taken  into  the  stomach  may  not  always 
be  clear,  but  when  we  take  into  considera- 
tion the  fact  that  the  female  worm  will 
deposit  many  thousands  of  eggs  that  are 
discharged  with  the  faeces,  and  that  these 


42  Nursing  vs.  Dosing, 

eggs  retain  their  vitality  often  for  months, 
and  are  washed  by  the  rain  and  blown 
about  by  the  wind,  it  does  not  seem  so 
singular  that  some  of  them  should  find 
their  way  into  the  food  eaten  by  the  dog 
or  into  the  water  he  drinks,  and  then  be 
carried  into  the  stomach. 


CHAPTER  IIL 


Diet* 


The  late  Mr.  Ethan  Allin  has  often  told 
me  that  he  invariably,  when  he  could  obtain 
it,  fed  his  puppies,  until  they  were  about 
four  months  old,  all  the  milk  warm  from 
the  cow  that  they  would  eat,  and  to  his 
knowledge  he  never  lost  a  puppy  from 
worms. 

If  new  milk  cannot  readily  be  obtained, 
procure  it  as  fresh  as  possible  and  warm  it 
to  the  proper  temperature. 

When  rearing  puppies  by  hand,  an  infant's 
nursing  bottle  is  the  very  best  article  to  use 
in  feeding  them,  but  you  must  take  especial 
care  to  see  that  it  is  thoroughly  cleaned 
each  time  it  is  used ;  in  fact,  the  same  care 


44  Nursing  vs.  Dosing. 

should  be  taken  that  It  would  receive  If 
used  by  an  infant. 

The  quantity  given  at  each  meal  should 
be  small,  and  the  feeding  should  be  repeat- 
ed every  hour  and  a  half  or  two  hours  from 
early  morning  until  bedtime.  The  one 
who  has  charge  of  them  will  soon  learn 
just  the  amount  to  give  to  each  puppy  and 
the  proper  time  to  feed  them. 

The  bottle  will  be  found  necessary  only 
a  few  days,  unless  they  are  very  young,  as 
they  will  soon  learn  to  lap  the  milk  from  a 
shallow  dish.  Indeed,  puppies  should  be 
taught  to  feed  themselves  when  they  are 
about  three  weeks  old,  even  If  the  dam  Is 
all  right,  as,  should  anything  unfortunately 
happen  to  deprive  them  of  their  natural 
supply,  the  necessary  change  will  not  affect 
them  nearly  so  much  as  It  will  If  they  are 
entirely  unprepared  for  it. 

Teachlncr  them  to  feed  themselves  when 
so  young  will  often  be  of  benefit  to  the 
dam,  especially  w^hen  the  litter  Is  large,  or 


Diet.  45 

when  she  does  not  have  a  sufficiency  of 
milk  to  supply  their  wants.  It  is  not  abso- 
lutely necessary,  however,  when  the  litter 
Is  small,  or  the  mother  is  a  good  milker, 
but  I  strongly  recommend  that  it  be  done ; 
for  in  case  of  accident  it  will  prove  to  be  of 
great  benefit,  both  to  the  puppies  and  in 
the  saving  to  you  of  time  and  worry. 

The  milk  of  some  cows  is  too  rich  to  be 
given  clear.  Such  should  be  reduced  with 
water,  using  a  small  quantity  at  first,  to  be 
gradually  increased  until  the  proper  pro- 
portion is  ascertained. 

The  quality  of  the  milk  will  be  quickly 
apparent  by  its  effect  upon  the  puppies ;  if 
too  rich,  they  will  appear  to  be  uncomfort- 
able after  eating,  and  often  throw  it  up;  but 
this  symptom  must  be  very  carefully  looked 
to,  as  overfeeding  will  produce  the  same 
results,  and  the  two  causes  must  not  be 
confounded. 

Careful  and  intelligent  watching  and  ex- 
periment will  enable  one  to  determine  just 


46  Nicrsing  vs.   Dosing. 

the  proper  course  to  pursue.  Should  the 
milk  prove  to  be  deficient  In  nutriment — 
which  will  quickly  be  shown  by  the  condi- 
tion of  the  puppies — a  change  should  be 
made  at  once ;  or,  If  this  Is  not  convenient, 
strong  beef  or  mutton  broth  should  be 
added,  in  very  small  quantity  2X  first,  to  be 
increased  If  It  is  found  to  be  necessary. 

Meat  is  the  natural  food  of  dogs,  and  as 
soon  as  they  can  eat  they  should  be  al- 
lowed to  have  it.  When  given  to  young 
puppies,  It  should  be  very  finely  scraped,  or 
chopped.,  and  if  cooked  it  should  be  boiled 
to  rags  and  finely  minced ;  but  In  either 
case  it  should  be  given  In  small  quantities 
and  not  too  often  ;  once  a  day  will  in  most 
cases, be  found  to  amply  suffice. 

One  of  the  most  useful  articles  of  diet  for 
puppies,  in  my  estimation,  Is  thick  sour 
milk.  While  its  nutritive  qualities  may 
not  be  equal  to  those  of  some  other  arti- 
cles, it  is  by  no  means  to  be  despised,  as 
in  this  respect  It  certainly  outranks  many 


Diet.  47 

other  articles  of  diet  that  are  in  constant 
use;  while  as  a  vermifuge  it  has,  to  my 
knowledge,  no  equal.  Very  few  puppies 
escape  the  infliction  of  worms,  and  the 
death  of  more  young  dogs  is  due  to  this 
trouble  than  any  other  in  the  list,  not  even 
excepting  that  scourge  of  the  kennel,  dis- 
temper. 

When  I  speak  of  death  from  this  cause, 
I  do  not  mean  to  be  understood  as  saying 
that  in  all  cases,  or  in  nearly  all,  the  victim 
is    actually    killed,    as    it    were,    outright. 
What   I    do   mean    is   that   in   very    many 
cases   the   complications   consequent  upon 
the    ravages    of   this  pest    often   result   In 
death,  or  worse;    for  the  enfeebled  frame 
and  Impaired  vitality  that  ensue  often  en- 
tail  an    existence   that   is    certainly    worse 
than   death   to   the   victim,  as   well  as   un- 
pleasant   to    the    owner.       Not    the    least 
factor  In  this  latter  condition  is  the  vicious 
practice  of  dosing  the  unfortunate  puppy 
with  pernicious  drugs  that  In  very  many 


48  Njtrsing  vs.   Dosing. 

cases  poison  and  impoverish  the  blood, 
weaken  or  destroy  the  deHcate  tissues,  ex- 
cite or  prevent  the  secretions,  and  utterly 
ruin  the  entire  digestive  organs  ;  leaving 
the  unfortunate  animal   to  struec^le  alone 


fc>^ 


through  life,  unable  to  enjoy  the  blessings 
that  should  be  his,  unable  to  minister  to  the 
pleasure  of  his  master,  and  worse — much 
worse  than  all  the  rest — to  transmit  to  his 
descendants  a  heritage  of  weakness  that 
renders  them  unable  to  withstand  the  ail- 
ments common  to  puppyhood — ailments 
that  healthy  vigor  would  scarcely  notice. 

This  senseless  dosing,  instead  of  proper 
care  and  nursing,  is  the  keynote  to  the 
complaint  so  often  heard  that  ''the  blue 
bloods  are  not  nearly  so  hardy  as  dogs  of 
low  degree."  That  this  cry  is  absurdly 
false  can  be  easily  demonstrated  by  giving 
the  blue  blood  an  equal  chance  for  life  and 
health  with  his  worthless,  but  always  vigor- 
ous and  healthy,  brother. 

Nearly   all   puppies  will   eat    sour    milk 


Diet.  49 

readily  ;  but,  should  any  refuse  it,  they  may 
soon  be  taught  by  placing  a  small  quantity 
before  them  when  they  are  hungry,  and 
dropping  into  it  a  few  bread  crumbs  or 
small  shreds  of  meat.  It  is,  as  I  have  said, 
excellent  for  worms,  and  its  merits  are  de- 
scribed in  the  pages  which  treat  of  them. 

Sweet  and  clean  food  is  of  nearly  as 
much  importance  as  pure  air  and  sunshine, 
and  you  should  never  force  your  dog  to  eat 
any  food  that  is  not  absolutely  clean  and 
sweet;  if  he  wants  dirt  to  eat,  let  him  help 
himself,  but  do  not  force  him  to  eat  it  with 
his  food.  Tainted  meat,  mouldy  bread  or 
stale  vegetables  should  never  be  fed ;  all 
are  bad,  the  last  two  dangerously  so,  as 
they  are  very  apt  to  cause  derangement  of 
the  digestive  organs,  and  not  infrequently 
more  serious  ills.  Indeed,  I  am  well  con- 
vinced that  unsuitable  diet  is  often  answer- 
able for  cases  of  so-called  canker  of  the  ear, 
as  well  as  other  disorders.  In  very  young 
do^s  this  disease  is  not  common,  but  the 


50  Nursijig  vs.  Dosing, 

effects  of  unwholesome  diet  will  remain,  and 
the  impaired  vitality  will  predispose  the 
victim  to  contract  this  or  other  diseases. 

Charcoal,  powdered  very  fine,  is  benefi- 
cial for  young  puppies ;  half  a  teaspoonful 
mixed  with  their  milk  or  scattered  over 
their  food,  once  or  twice  a  week,  will  sweet- 
en and  purify  the  contents  of  the  stomach, 
and  in  many  cases  it  will  prevent  colic  and 
flatulency. 

Bone  meal  may  also  be  given  occasion- 
ally in  small  quantities ;  it  should  be  finely 
ground,  and  once  a  week  a  level  teaspoon- 
ful may  be  mixed  with  their  food. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Other  Foods. 

Although  in  a  general  way  I  have  said 
considerable  regarding  the  proper  food  to 
be  given  your  dog,  it  will  perhaps  be  better 
to  give  this  important  subject  further  con- 
sideration, for  this  question  is  very  often  a 
perplexing  one  when  there  are  several  ani- 
mals to  be  cared  for.  That  meat  is  the 
natural  food  of  dogs  is  abundantly  shown 
by  the  formation  of  the  teeth,  which  is 
identical  with  that  of  all  animals  who  live 
upon  flesh  ;  meat,  therefore,  should  consti- 
tute no  inconsiderable  portion  of  their 
food.  Whether  it  should  be  cooked  or 
given  raw  is  an  open  question  that  scien- 
tists have  not  yet  satisfactorily  determined. 


52  Nursiiig  vs.  Dosing. 

The  dog  himself,  however,  has  most  em- 
phatically decided  the  question  about  equal- 
ly in  favor  of  both  methods,  and  until 
science  demonstrates  that  there  is  a  pos- 
itive benefit  attached  to  one  system  that  is 
not  found  in  the  other,  we  may  safely  con- 
tinue the  use  of  both  as  our  judgment  shall 
prompt. 

When  feeding  meat  to  very  young  dogs, 
or  to  those  recovering  from  illness,  it 
should  be  scraped  or  minced  very  fine,  in 
order  that  it  may  digest  more  quickly  than 
it  would  were  it  swallowed  in  large  pieces. 
The  flesh  of  animals  that  have  died  from 
disease  is  unfit  for  food,  and  should  never 
be  given  to  your  dog ;  neither  should  you 
feed  him  with  meat  that  is  sour,  as  the  fer- 
mentation that  is  present  when  meat  is  in 
this  condition  is  very  apt  to  cause  disturb- 
ance of  the  digestive  organs.  Tainted 
meat  is  not  so  objectionable  as  that  which  is 
sour,  unless  it  is  in  a  decidedly  high  condi- 
tion, in  which  case  it  should  never  be  fed. 


Other  Foods.  53 

Experiment  has  shown  that  the  juices  in 
the  stomach  of  the  dog  will  purify  and 
sweeten  in  a  very  short  time  even  badly 
tainted  meat,  and  upon  this  fact  is  based 
the  claim,  by  superficial  writers,  that  it  is 
not  in  any  sense  improper  food — ignoring 
the  fact  that  the  abnormal  quantity  of  the 
juices  of  the  stomach  required  to  perform 
this  work  exhausts  in  a  measure  the  supply 
necessary  for  the  proper  digestion  and 
absorption  of  the  food  next  taken. 

All  meats  should  be  kept  awhile  after 
being  killed,  as  this  makes  them  more 
tender,  renders  them  easier  of  digestion, 
and  consequently  more  nutritious.  Beef 
I  believe  to  be  the  most  valuable  of  any 
meat  for  dogs,  although  horse  meat  Is  also 
excellent.  Mutton  Is  not  quite  so  nu- 
tritious, but  is  much  more  easily  digested, 
and  is  therefore  the  best  to  use  In  all 
cases  of  disturbance  of  the  digestive  organs. 
The  meat  of  any  kind  of  very  young  an- 
imals is  not  so  nutritious,  nor  is  it  so  easily 


54  Nursing  vs.   Doszjig. 

dieested  as  that  of  those  mature.  Pork,  as 
a  rule,  should  not  be  glv^en  to  your  dog, 
as  it  is  hard  to  digest,  especially  if  there  is 
any  tendency  to  weakness  of  the  digestive 
organs.  If  the  animal  is  strong  and  healthy, 
however,  a  small  quantity  occasionally  will 
perhaps  do  him  no  harm.  Beef  tripe, 
when  properly  cleaned  and  boiled  until  it  is 
tender,  is  an  excellent  article  of  food,  valu- 
able both  for  its  nutritious  qualities  and  as 
a  chancre  from  a  monotonous  diet.  Beef 
scraps  are  also  very  useful  in  a  large  ken- 
nel ;  they  should  be  broken  up  fine  and 
soaked  in  cold  water  from  twelve  to  twenty- 
four  hours,  and  then  boiled  for  two  or  three 
hours  in  the  proportion  of  about  one  quart 
to  each  s^allon  of  water.  When  boiled  loner 
enough,  thicken  the  broth  with  finely 
around  corn  meal,  season  with  salt,  and  stir 
thoroughly  while  boiling  until  the  meal  is 
well  cooked;  or,  when  of  the  proper  consist- 
ency, it  may  be  poured  into  pans  and  the 
cooking  finished  by  baking  brown   in   the 


Other  Foods.  55 

oven.  This  is  relished  by  most  dogs,  is 
nutritious  and  a  welcome  change,  but  its 
use  should  only  be  occasional,  as  corn 
meal  is  a  bit  too  heavy,  unless  your  dog  is 
at  work.  Fresh  fish  is  also  excellent  food, 
and  an  agreeable  change  can  be  made  by 
boiling  it  until  the  flesh  will  readily  sepa- 
rate from  the  bones,  when  it  may  be 
mashed  together  with  well-cooked  vege- 
tables and  seasoned  with  salt. 

Bones  should  be  freely  given  to  your 
dog,  both  for  their  nutritive  qualities  and 
the  benefit  derived  in  keeping  the  teeth 
and  jaws  in  good  condition.  Only  large 
or  comparatively  soft  bones  should  be 
given,  as  splinters  from  hard  bones,  or 
sharp  edges  of  small  ones — such  as  the  leg 
or  wing  bones  of  fowls,  the  shin  bones  of 
sheep,  etc. — may  penetrate  or  injure  the 
walls  of  the  stomach,  thereby  causing  seri- 
ous harm. 

Beef  flour  is  a  useful  article  of  food  for 
the    kennel,   especially  when   your  dog   is 


56  Ntirsmg  vs.   Dosing, 

hungry  and  the  larder  Is  empty,  as  It  Is  nu- 
tritious as  well  as  palatable,  and  Is  quickly 
prepared  by  simply  stirring  It  Into  boiling 
water  and  allowing  It  to  cool,  when  It  Is 
ready.  Broken  bread  or  crackers  may  be 
mixed  with  the  preparation,  or  the  flour 
can  be  added  to  the  pot  of  vegetables  or 
corn  meal  If  you  choose,  In  place  of  meat 
or  scraps.  Dog  biscuits,  when  manufac- 
tured by  responsible  parties,  are  also  an  ex- 
cellent article  of  food  that  appears  to  be 
greatly  relished  by  most  dogs.  These, 
with  beef  flour,  are  very  handy  to  take 
w^Ith  you  upon  a  shooting  trip,  In  case  you 
should  have  any  difficulty  In  securing  suffi- 
cient food  for  your  dogs. 

The  different  grain  products  that  are 
used  by  man  are  all  useful  as  food  for  dogs. 
Corn  meal.  In  addition  to  the  uses  before 
mentioned,  can  be  easily  prepared  by  stir- 
ring It  Into  boiling  water  with  a  little  salt 
and  boiling  It  until  It  is  well  cooked;  or  it 
can  be  mixed  with  cold  water  Into  doucrh 


Other  Foods,  57 

and  baked  in  the  oven.  The  meal  should 
be  finely  ground,  in  order  that  it  may  be 
thoroughly  cooked,  as,  unless  this  Is  done, 
the  particles  will  swell  when  they  are  taken 
into  the  stomach,  and  cause  distress,  or  per- 
haps more  serious  trouble  will  result. 

Rice,  when  thoroughly  cooked,  is  one  of 
the  best  articles  of  food  that  can  be  found 
for  the  convalescent. 

Rye  and  oatmeal  are  both  excellent 
food  when  thoroughly  cooked  and  properly 
used,  but  in  feeding  them  to  your  dog  you 
should  bear  in  mind  that  they  are  laxative 
in  character  and  should  be  judiciously  used. 
Wheat  flour,  when  cooked  in  almost  any 
manner,  is  readily  eaten  by  the  dog,  and  is 
a  very  useful  article  of  food  when  used  in 
moderation. 

Vegetable  substances  are  not  the  natural 
food  of  the  dog,  but  there  is  no  question 
that  when  almost  any  vegetable,  that  is 
eaten  by  man,  is  thoroughly  well  cooked, 
and  occasionally  fed  to  your  dog,  benefit 


58  Ntcrsmg  vs.  Dosing. 

will  result.  Not  only  are  most  vegetables 
nutritious,  but  their  use  in  moderate  quan- 
tity is  beneficial  in  other  respects.  Their 
laxative  qualities  tend  to  keep  the  bowels 
in  ofood  condition,  while  their  occasional 
use  gives  a  change  from  perhaps  an  other- 
wise monotonous  diet  that  is  most  welcome. 
Onions  I  believe  to  be  almost  indispen- 
sable to  the  bill  of  fare  provided  for  your 
dog ;  nearly  all  dogs  will  eat  them  readily, 
when  properly  cooked  and  seasoned  with  a 
little  salt.  For  many  years  I  have  fed  my 
dogs,  both  young  and  old,  with  a  good 
dish  of  them  as  often  as  once  a  week. 
When  cooking  meat  or  making  soup  for 
them,  a  generous  quantity  of  this  vegeta- 
ble, put  into  the  pot  with  the  meat  and 
cooked  to  rags,  will  prove  to  be  a  very  ac- 
ceptable addition. 

Potatoes  and  beets  are  also  readily  eaten 
by  dogs,  and  are  of  undoubted  value  as 
food.  Carrots,  parsnips,  turnips  and  some 
other  vegetables   are  not  usually  relished 


Other  Foods.  59 

by  them,   and  may  therefore  be  omitted. 

All  vegetables  should  be  thoroughly 
cooked  and  fed  in  moderate  quantity,  as  a 
long-continued  vegetable  diet  will  have  a 
tendency  to  impoverish  the  blood  and 
render  the  animal  liable  to  contract  disease. 

Many  other  articles  of  food  used  by  man 
will  be  readily  eaten  by  his  dog,  but  it  will 
be  better,  perhaps,  to  waive  their  considera- 
tion, as  the  articles  already  mentioned  are 
amply  sufficient  for  the  requirements  of 
health  and  the  stimulation  of  a  dainty  ap- 
petite. 

Good  judgment,  as  well  as  thoughtful 
care,  are  of  the  utmost  importance  when 
making  up  the  bill  of  fare  for  your  dog,  in 
order  that  he  may  not  suffer  from  the  lack 
of  proper  food  to  keep  him  in  just  the  right 
condition,  nor  become  cloyed  by  the  long- 
continued  use  of  any  one  article  of  food; 
for  dogs  are  very  like  their  masters  in  this 
respect,  and  even  quail  on  toast  becomes 
monotonous  after  many  days. 


CHAPTER  V. 

Kennel  and  Exercise* 

As  soon  as  your  puppy  begins  to  walk, 
he  should  have  plenty  of  exercise,  on  the 
ground,  if  possible,  and  out  of  doors ;  but  if 
this  cannot  be  given  him,  the  box  stall  or  a 
pen  under  an  open  shed  will  answer.  Do 
not,  however,  neglect  to  keep  the  sand  or 
soil  perfectly  sweet  and  free  from  filth. 

When  the  puppy  is  about  six  weeks  of 
age,  he  should  have  a  good-sized  pen  out 
of  doors,  with  a  kennel  that  will  keep  out 
the  rain  ;  and,  if  the  weather  is  cold,  the 
kennel  should  be  close  and  warm,  with  a 
heavy  piece  of  old  carpet  nailed  over  the 
door  at  the  top,  and  left  hanging  over  the 
entrance,  to  exclude  cold  and  wet.  If  you 
cannot  give  him  a  large  pen,  he  should  be 
let  out  for  a  run  of  an  hour  at  least  twice  a 


Kenfiel  arid  Exercise.  6i 

day.  This  is  imperative  if  you  would  have 
a  healthy,  vigorous  animal.  A  dog  should 
never  be  kept  on  chain  ;  but  if  this  is  un- 
avoidable, you  can  overcome  a  portion  of 
its  disadvantages  by  stretching  a  long  wire 
— overhead,  to  be  out  of  the  way — between 
two  posts  or  trees,  and  attaching  the  chain 
to  a  ring  that  will  slide  on  the  wire,  thus 
giving  him  exercise  and  a  partial  relief  from 
heart-breaking  confinement. 

Pure  air  and  sunlioht  are  of  the  orreatest 
importance ;  in  fact,  they  are  indispensable 
to  the  health  of  most  animals,  and  too 
much  stress  cannot  be  eiven  to  the  neces- 
sity  of  rearing  your  puppy  where  he  can 
have  plenty  of  the  former  at  all  times,  and 
at  least  two  or  three  hours  of  the  latter 
every  bright  day.  It  is  true  that  many 
animals  live  in  apparent  health  when  sur- 
rounded by  noxious  odors  and  deprived  of 
sunlight,  but  in  such  cases  disease  sooner 
or  later  generally  overtakes  even  the  most 
hardy  and  vigorous  specimens. 


CHAPTER  VI- 

Common  Ailments- 


Teething* 

Puppies  usually  begin  to  shed  their  teeth 
when  they  are  about  six  months  of  age, 
although  some  will  begin  a  month  or  even 
six  weeks  earlier,  while  occasionally  one 
will  begin  a  few  weeks  later.  As  this  is  a 
critical  period,  they  should  be  carefully 
watched  and  tended,  and  no  pains  be  spared 
to  keep  them  in  the  best  possible  condition 
to  withstand  the  effects  of  the  change. 
While  many  puppies  pass  through  this 
period  without  any  apparent  trouble,  others 
will  be  feverish  and  ailing  through  the 
whole  time  until  their  permanent  teeth  are 
of  considerable  size. 

As  a  rule,  puppies  that  have  been  prop- 


Common  Ailments,  63 

erly  cared  for,  and  are  healthy  and  vigor- 
ous, will  pass  safely  through  this  season 
without  much  trouble. 

It  is  a  very  good  plan,  at  this  time,  to 
allow  them  every  few  days  a  large,  fresh 
bone  to  gnaw ;  this  will  often  remove 
the  teeth  as  they  become  loosened.  An 
examination  of  the  mouth,  however,  should 
be  made  every  day  or  two,  and  any  teeth 
that  are  loosened  enough  to  be  trouble- 
some should  be  removed,  which  operation 
should  be  performed  with  the  fingers.  By 
using  forceps  the  teeth  are  very  apt  to  be 
broken,  causing  more  discomfort  to  the 
patient  than  they  would  if  left  entirely 
alone. 

When  the  permanent  teeth  are  well 
through  the  gums,  if  any  of  the  milk  teeth 
remain  they  should  be  extracted,  even  if 
they  appear  to  be  firm,  as  they  will  some- 
times remain  for  a  long  time;  besides  being 
uncomfortable,  they  may  disfigure  the 
mouth,  and  it  is  much  better  to  have  them 


64  Nursing  vs.  Dosing, 

out,  even  if  you  are  obliged  to  employ  a 
dentist. 

When  the  permanent  teeth  make  their 
appearance,  you  should  make  a  very  care- 
ful and  thorough  examination,  and  if  the 
mouth  is  not  level,  and  there  is  indication 
that  it  is  inclined  to  be  overshot  or  under- 
shot, you  must  at  once  take  measures  to 
counteract  the  tendency  by  pressing  upon 
the  teeth,  inward  or  outward,  as  the  case 
requires,  until  the  evil  is  counteracted;  this 
should  be  performed  at  least  once  each 
day,  and  two  or  three  times  will  be  all  the 
better.  This  will  bring  the  teeth  into 
proper  position,  except  in  very  bad  cases, 
and  even  in  those  much  may  be  done  by 
careful  manipulation  to  remedy  the  evil. 
Moderate  pressure,  in  ordinary  cases,  will 
be  sufficient,  provided  it  is  properly  fol- 
lowed up;  though  in  severe  cases  it  will  per- 
haps be  necessary  to  use  considerable  force, 
but  not  enough  to  cause  the  animal  any 
suffering. 


Common  Ailments.  65 

The  teeth  of  the  dog  are  sometimes  in- 
crusted  with  tartar, which  is  generally  caused 
by  a  foul  stomach,  the  result  of  improper 
food  or  powerful  medicine.  The  deposit 
should  be  removed  with  the  point  of  a  pen- 
knife blade,  taking  care  neither  to  injure  the 
teeth  by  scraping  through  the  enamel,  nor 
to  lacerate  the  gums.  After  the  deposit 
has  been  thoroughly  cleaned  from  the 
teeth,  they  should  be  well  brushed  with  an 
ordinary  toothbrush  kept  well  saturated 
with  tincture  of  myrrh,  using  at  the  same 
time  finely  powdered  charcoal.  Dogs  that 
are  properly  fed  will  seldom  be  troubled 
with  tartar.  But  should  your  dog  be  thus 
afflicted,  follow  the  above  directions,  and 
give  him  occasionally  a  large  bone  to  gnaw; 
this  will  generally  keep  his  teeth  perfectly 
clean.  It  is  important  that  this  matter 
should  be  attended  to  in  season,  as,  if  the 
tartar  is  allowed  to  accumulate  in  a  consider- 
able quantity,  complications  may  arise  that 
will  prove  to  be  troublesome.     Softening 


66  Nursing  vs.  Dosi7ig, 

of  the  gums  and  canker  sometimes  ensue, 
and  serious  disturbance  of  the  digestive 
organs  very  frequently. 

Diarrhoea* 

Diarrhoea  is  an  aihnent  very  common 
to  puppies,  but  usually  the  attack  is  not 
serious  enough  to  require  any  remedy  to 
be  administered.  Should  it  continue  for  a 
longer  period  than  twenty-four  hours,  how- 
ever, measures  should  be  taken  to  control  it. 

In  the  case  of  young  puppies,  the  trouble 
is  generally  caused  by  something  in  the 
food  eaten.  The  stomach  may  be  over- 
loaded, or  some  indigestible  substance  may 
have  been  swallowed ;  sudden  change  of 
food  will  also  sometimes  cause  it.  In  most 
cases  nature  will  do  all  that  is  required,  but 
if  the  trouble  is  persistent — especially  if  the 
discharges  have  an  offensive  odor  —  the 
matter  should  be  at  once  attended  to. 

The  diarrhoea  is  the  result  of  nature's 
effort  to  remove  the  offending  matter  from 


Common  Ailments.  67 

the  stomach,  and  in  order  to  assist  her  a 
dose  of  castor  oil  may  be  given;  a  tea- 
spoonful  to  a  dessertspoonful,  according  to 
the  size  of  the  animal,  will  be  sufficient  in 
most  cases.  For  a  day  or  two  the  diet 
should  be  restricted  in  quantity,  and 
nothino-  but  scalded  milk  or  mutton  broth 
be  given.  At  the  same  time  particular 
care  must  be  taken  to  see  that  the  patient 
is  not  exposed  to  sudden  atmospheric 
changes,  nor  allowed  to  get  wet. 

Should  dysentery  supervene,  which  will 
be  manifest  by  discharges  of  slime  and 
blood,  it  will  be  necessary  to  repeat  the 
dose  of  castor  oil.  If  the  animal  suffers 
much  pain,  a  teaspoonful  of  paregoric 
should  be  given  once  in  two  to  four  hours, 
as  the  case  may  appear  to  demand. 

In  ordinary  cases,  that  are  not  complicat- 
ed with  other  diseases,  a  speedy  recovery 
may  be  looked  for ;  but  should  the  trouble 
continue,  you  should  consult  a  veterinarian 
or  your  family  physician. 


68  Nursiiig  vs.  Dosing. 

Until  the  patient  Is  entirely  recovered 
the  nourishment  should  be  simple  and 
given  often,  but  In  very  small  quantities, 
especially  In  the  first  stages  of  the  disease. 
Milk  that  has  been  boiled  and  mutton 
broth  are  both  excellent. 

If  the  patient  appears  to  be  losing 
strength  too  rapidly,  a  raw  ^gg  beaten  up 
with  half  a  teaspoonful  of  brandy  should  be 
given  once  in  two  to  six  hours,  as  may  be 
thought  necessary. 

When  the  patient  Is  convalescing,  great 
care  must  be  taken  not  to  overload  the 
stomach.  Food  should  be  given  in  small 
quantities  and  as  often  as  Is  thought  neces- 
sary. It  should  be  nourishing,  but  not  too 
rich ;  meat  broth  with  rice,  cooked  four  or 
five  hours,  is  excellent.  Stale  wheat  bread, 
toasted  brown  and  soaked  in  milk,  is  also 
good. 

If  the  patient  is  much  debilitated,  qui- 
nine may  be  given  in  one-grain  doses,  three 
times  a  day,  for  two  or  three  days.     I  have 


Common  Ailments,  69 

frequently  at  this  stage  used  old  blackberry 
wine,  three  or  four  times  a  day,  in  half-tea- 
spoonful  doses,  with  the  best  of  results. 
This  I  believe  to  be  much  better  than 
brandy  or  port  wine.  Careful  nursing,  in- 
tellio-ent  watching  of  symptoms,  with  judi- 
cious  care  in  the  giving  of  remedies  and 
food,  will  in  a  very  large  majority  of  cases 
bring  the  patient  through  the  trouble  all 

right. 

Convulsions* 

Puppies  when  teething  are  subject  to 
convulsions,  especially  if  they  are  of  a  high 
strung,  nervous  temperament.  In  most 
cases  these  convulsions  or  fits,  as  they  are 
generally  called,  will  disappear  when  the 
disturbing  cause  is  removed,  and  no  evil  re- 
sults will  remain,  especially  when  the  ani- 
mal is  vigorous  and  healthy.  Other  causes 
and  conditions,  that  perhaps  would  not 
cause  them  at  other  times,  will  also  pro- 
duce convulsions  at  this  period,  owing  to 
the  disturbed  and  fevered  state  of  the  ani- 


JO  Nursing  vs.  Dosing. 

mal.  Among  these  causes  are  overfeeding, 
worms,  sudden  fright,  extreme  heat,  ex- 
haustion from  too  long  continued  exercise, 
and  in  several  instances  I  have  seen  a 
young  dog  go  into  convulsions  from  sym- 
pathetic affection  of  the  nerves  upon  wit- 
nessing the  spasms  of  a  companion.  Occa- 
sionally dogs  will  have  fits  from  some  cause 
that  it  is  impossible  to  determine.  In  such 
cases  epilepsy  is  to  be  feared,  especially  if 
the  attacks  should  often  recur. 

Epilepsy. 

Epilepsy,  or  at  least  a  tendency  to  it,  is 
often  transmitted  from  the  parents,  hence 
the  necessity  of  selecting  for  the  breeding 
kennel  only  such  animals  as  are  free  from 
this  as  well  as  other  diseases.  There  is 
always  present  in  this  disease  some  disturb- 
ance of  the  nerves,  often  of  such  a  nature 
as  to  defy  the  most  elaborate  and  scientific 
diagnosis. 

In  human  practice — aside  from  the  care 


Common  Ailments.  "ji 

of  bodily  health — the  treatment  is  mostly 
guesswork,  as  there  is  no  known  remedy 
for  the  disease,  though  it  is  true  that  in 
very  many  cases  marked  Improvement  will 
follow  treatment,  and  in  some  instances 
complete  recovery  will  take  place ;  but  It  is 
an  open  question  whether  the  Improve- 
ment should  be  attributed  to  the  medicine 
prescribed  or  to  the  nursing  and  care  be- 
stowed upon  the  patient. 

For  .many  years  I  have  entirely  discon- 
tinued the  use  of  all  powerful  drugs  in 
every  case  of  epilepsy  that  has  come  under 
my  care.  In  treating  this  disease,  it  Is  of 
paramount  Importance  that  the  bodily 
health  of  the  patient  should  be  at  once  at- 
tended to,  and  measures  should  at  once 
be  taken  to  restore  it  to  its  normal  con- 
dition. 

If  other  disease  Is  present,  the  proper 
remedies  to  overcome  It  should  be  used, 
and,  In  case  of  plethora,  dietary  measures, 
strict   and   severe  —  if   demanded   by   the 


72  N  117' sing  vs.  Dosing. 

nature  of  the  condition — must  be  resorted 
to.  Careful  nursing,  together  with  proper 
attention  to  diet,  is  the  very  best  treatment 
possible.  Good  judgment  will  be  required 
in  deciding  upon  just  the  proper  amount  of 
exercise  necessary  for  the  patient  to  take, 
regulating  this  as  appears  to  be  best  in 
each  particular  case.  In  some  instances 
only  very  gentle  exercise  is  all  that  pru- 
dence will  allow,  while  in  others  a  large 
amount  will  prove  to  be  of  benefit. 

As  this  disease  is  produced  by  some  dis- 
turbance of  the  nerves,  it  is  of  the  utmost 
importance  that  the  patient  should  be  kept 
as  quiet  as  possible,  in  a  secluded  place, 
with  nothing  to  disturb  him,  taking  espe- 
cial care  when  attending  him  to  refrain 
from  any  quick  motion  or  unnecessary 
noise;  and  in  every  case,  upon  entering  or 
leaving  his  presence,  speak  kind,  cheerful 
words  to  him ;  and  on  no  account  should 
you  allow  yourself  to  address  him  in  the 
sad,  pitying  tone  that  is  too  often  heard  in 


Common  Aihnents.  73 

the  sick-room.  This  tone  and  words  of 
pity  are  perhaps  well  enough  in  cases  of 
slight  bodily  hurt,  but  in  no  case  should 
they  be  heard  by  the  seriously  sick,  espe- 
cially if  suffering  from  any  nervous  affec- 
tion. 

It  is  well  known  that  in  all  nervous  dis- 
orders the  state  of  the  mind  has  much  to 
do  in  hastening  or  retarding  recovery; 
therefore,  so  surround  your  patient  with 
pleasant  material  for  cheerful  thought  that 
all  danger  from  sad  ones  wall  be  avoided. 

Distemper* 

Distemper,  as  it  Is  called.  Is  one  of  the 
most  serious  maladies  with  which  the  doof 
owner  has  to  contend — often  immediately 
fatal;  or,  If  life  is  spared,  disastrous  to 
health,  leavinof  the  victim  bereft  of  streno^th 
and  vigor,  which  may  never  return,  even 
with  the  best  of  care. 

The  cause  of  distemper  Is  contagion  or 
infection,  and  by  no   other  means  can   it 


74  Nursing  vs,  Doshig. 

originate.  Some  writers  claim  that  certain 
other  conditions  will  produce  It,  but  this  Is 
simply  Impossible ;  and,  although  we  may 
not  always  be  able  to  trace  the  source  of 
Its  origin,  we  may  rest  assured  that  In 
some  manner  the  germ  of  the  disease  has 
obtained  a  foothold,  and  that  it  will  run  Its 
course  as  surely  as  smallpox  or  measles. 
There  Is  absolutely  no  cure  for  It,  and  all 
so-called  specifics,  either  for  Its  prevention 
or  cure,  are  simply  worthless  for  the  pur- 
pose. Some  of  them,  recommended  as  be- 
ing Infallible,  I  know  to  be  positively 
dangerous,  as  their  tendency  is  to  weaken 
the  animal  at  a  time  when  he  needs  all  his 
strength  and  vigor  to  withstand  the  very 
debilitating  effects  of  the  disease  and  carry 
him  safely  through  the  trouble. 

The  disease  is  a  form  of  fever,  and,  if  no 
other  trouble  sets  in,  will  run  Its  course  In 
about  ten  days ;  and,  if  the  animal  attacked 
be  vigorous  and  in  good  health,  the  chances 
are  that  in  a  very  large  majority  of  cases 


Common  Ailments.  75 

there  will  soon  be  complete  recovery.  But 
in  animals  predisposed  to  disease  by  want 
of  proper  care,  or  enfeebled  from  any  cause, 
complications  often  arise  that  are  most  dis- 
astrous in  results. 

There  is  no  period  in  the  life  of  your 
dog"  when  it  is  so  important  to  stick  closely 
to  the  text  which  inspires  these  pages  as 
during  his  attack  of  distemper.  Careful 
nursing,  and  no  dosing  with  pernicious 
drugs,  will  bring  the  patient  through  all 
right  in  most  cases,  if  he  is  in  a  healthy 
condition  when  attacked. 

I  will  briefly  sketch  the  course  that  I 
have  pursued  in  more  than  two  hundred 
cases  among  puppies  of  my  own  breeding, 
without  losing  a  single  one  by  death,  and, 
with  three  exceptions,  bringing  them 
through  sound  and  healthy.  Two  of  these 
exceptions  were  attacked  with  chorea  — 
one  incurable,  the  other  recovering  in  a 
few  months.  The  remaining  one,  when 
apparently  convalescent,   was   seized  with 


76  Ntcrsing  vs.  Dosing, 

convulsions,  which  recurred  at  frequent  In- 
tervals for  several  weeks,  and  he  was  put 
out  of  the  way  as  worthless. 

When  a  puppy  first  showed  symptoms 
of  distemper — which  may  be  described  as 
those  of  a  hard  cold,  and  generally  indicat- 
ed by  dullness,  a  hot  and  dry  nose,  husky 
cough,  and  running  at  the  nose  and  eyes — 
he  was  at  once  removed  to  a  warm,  dry 
room,  where  he  could  have  sunshine,  plenty 
of  fresh  air,  a  good,  dry  bed,  and  an  abun- 
dance of  pure  water  to  drink.  If  it  was 
necessary — not  otherwise — the  bowels  were 
opened  with  a  dose  of  syrup  of  buckthorn 
and  sweet  oil,  one  to  two  teaspoonfuls  of 
each,  according  to  his  age ;  and  he  was 
given,  two  or  three  times  a  day  In  a  teacup 
of  milk,  a  tablespoonful  of  strong  tea,  made 
by  steeping  the  leaves  of  sweet  fern  {Comp- 
tonia  asplenifolid).  When  the  leaves, 
green  or  dry,  could  not  be  obtained,  the 
twigs  and  roots  were  used.  I  do  not  know 
that  this  plant  has  any  medicinal  qualities, 


Common  Ailments.  77 

except  that  the  decoction  is  very  cooHng 
and  potent  in  allaying  inflammation,  wheth- 
er taken  internally  to  subdue  fever,  or  used 
as  a  wash  in  cases  of  irritation  of  the  skin 
caused  by  hunting"  your  dog  over  a  country 
infested  with  briers  or  saw  grass,  while  as 
a  lotion  for  ground  ivy  poisoning  it  has  no 
equal. 

Nourishing  food  that  would  digest  easily 
was  freely  given  ;  strong  beef  or  mutton 
broth,  raw  beef  minced  fine,  milk  and  raw 
eggs  were  the  principal  articles  relied  upon, 
changing  these  as  was  thought  would  tempt 
the  appetite.  Three  and  sometimes  four 
meals  a  day  were  given,  and  if  the  patient 
refused  to  eat  at  the  usual  time  of  feedine, 
the  necessary  amount  of  food  was  poured 
down  his  throat,  unless  he  appeared  to  be 
holding  his  strength  in  a  satisfactory  man- 
ner. When  this  course  was  necessary, 
great  care  was  taken  that  he  was  not  irri- 
tated by  the  operation.  The  patient  was 
at  all  times  kept  as  quiet  as  possible,  and 


yS  Nursing  vs.   Dosing, 

allowed  to  sleep  undisturbed  as  much  as 
he  pleased.  His  apartment  was  at  all 
times  kept  perfectly  sweet,  clean  and  well 
ventilated,  especial  care  being  taken  that 
he  was  at  no  time  exposed  to  a  draught. 
All  his  wants  were  attended  to ;  his  eyes 
and  nose  w^ere  kept  free  from  accumula- 
tions with  a  soft  sponge  slightly  moistened 
with  tepid  water,  and  nothing  was  left  un- 
done in  the  way  of  careful  nursing  until  he 
was  entirely  out  of  danger.  As  my  dogs 
were  generally  in  the  best  of  health,  with 
plenty  of  strength  to  withstand  the  ravages 
of  the  disease,  they  soon  recovered,  and  it 
was  seldom  that  any  serious  complications 
retarded  their  speedy  return  to  health. 

In  the  w^eakened  and  feverish  state  ac- 
companying this  disease  the  system  is  very 
susceptible  to  attack  by  other  disorder?. 
This  is  especially  the  case  if  the  patient  is 
allowed  by  exposure  to  take  cold.  When 
this  occurs  the  lungs  are  very  apt  to  be- 
come   affected,    the    digestive    organs    de- 


Commoji  A  lime  Jits.  79 

ranged,  and  inflammation  of  the  mucous 
membrane  or  other  sensitive  organs  super- 
venes, necessitating  medical  treatment, 
which  should  always  be  confided  to  the 
care  of  an  experienced  veterinarian  or  phy- 
sician. 

In  case  of  complications  arising  affect- 
ing the  nervous  system,  resulting  in  chorea 
or  indications  of  it,  no  medicine  is  required, 
except  perhaps  in  severe  cases  to  give  as  a 
tonic  cod  liver  oil,  in  teaspoonful  doses, 
three  times  a  day,  mixed  in  a  cup  of  milk  ; 
this,  with  nourishing  food  and  careful  nurs- 
ing, will  bring  the  patient  through  all  right 
in  a  very  large  majority  of  cases. 

When  paralysis  follows  distemper,  the 
prospect  for  recovery  is  not  very  encoura- 
ging, except  perhaps  in  case  of  partial  paral- 
ysis of  the  hinder  parts,  which  is  frequently 
caused  by  constipation,  and  disappears  with 
the  removal  of  the  cause. 

When  convalescence  is  manifest,  watch- 
ful care  should  not  be  relaxed,  as  it  is  then 


8o  Nztrsing  vs.  Dosing. 

needed  very  nearly  as  much  as  at  any  time. 
Owing  to  the  fevered  condition  of  the  in- 
testines, constipation  is  very  apt  to  be 
troublesome,  and  the  discharges  must  be 
closely  watched ;  and  if  a  tendency  in  this 
direction  is  manifest,  measures  should  at 
once  be  taken  to  overcome  it  by  the  use  of 
an  occasional  meal  of  raw  liver  or  small 
doses  of  sweet  oil.  The  oil  should  be 
given  in  teaspoonful  doses,  and  repeated 
tw^o  or  three  times  a  day  if  found  to  be 
necessary. 

Castor  oil  should  very  rarely  be  admin- 
istered to  dogs.  In  cases  of  diarrhoea  or 
dysentery  it  may  be  used  beneficially,  but 
in  no  other  case  should  it  ever  be  given,  as 
its  action  upon  the  lining  of  the  intestines 
induces  a  condition  of  dryness  or  fever  that 
will  result  in  chronic  constipation  if  its  use 
is  long  continued.  It  should  be  especially 
avoided  in  all  cases  of  distemper.  I  am 
aware  that  to  many  this  will  appear  to  be 
little  short  of  heresy,  as  this  medicine  is  a 


Commoit  Aihnents^.  8i 

very  general  favorite  ;  but  after  using  It  for 
years  I  became  convinced,  by  carefully 
noting  results,  that  In  very  many  cases  this 
agent  should  not  be  employed ;  and  I  have 
since  used  In  place  of  It  sweet  oil,  alone  or 
mixed  with  an  equal  quantity  of  syrup  of 
buckthorn,  In  case  something  a  little  more 
active  than  the  oil  appeared  to  be  neces- 
sary. 

It  Is  during  convalescence  or  after  the 
turn  of  the  disease  that  nervous  affections 
manifest  themselves.  Great  care  should 
therefore  be  taken  at  this  period  to  see 
that  the  patient  is  disturbed  as  little  as 
possible,  all  unnecessary  noise  or  excite- 
ment being  avoided,  and,  In  case  of  sudden 
change  of  weather,  regulating  ventilation 
so  that  he  shall  not  take  cold.  When  he 
appears  to  be  nearly  well,  outdoor  exercise 
in  suitable  weather  should  be  given,  very 
moderately  at  first,  and  Increased  as  he 
shows  Improvement.  Frequent  meals  of 
nourishing,  easily  digested  food,  If  the  pa- 


82  Nurshig  vs.  Dosing. 

tient  Is  very  much  reduced,  should  be 
given,  and  when  indicated  cod  liver  oil  in 
tablespoonful  doses  may  be  given  with  his 
food  two  or  three  times  a  day. 

In  all  cases  the  patient  should  have  the 
best  of  care  for  at  least  two  weeks  after 
apparent  recovery,  as  a  sudden  change  of 
weather  may  induce  a  cold,  bringing  on  a 
relapse,  which  is  nearly  always  more  dan- 
gerous than  the  first  attack. 

It  is  generally  believed  that  dogs  can 
have  distemper  but  once,  and  as  a  rule 
this  is  true  ;  but  some  dogs  will  have  a 
second  or  even  a  third  attack,  which  is  usu- 
ally of  a  mild  form. 

Some  persons  who  have  had  consider- 
able experience  will  tell  you  that  there  are 
several  distinct  forms  of  distemper,  but  I 
have  never  heard  of  more  than  a  very 
crude  attempt  to  classify  or  define  the  dif- 
ference between  them  and  am  rather  skep- 
tical in  the  matter.  While  it  is  true  that 
in  some  seasons  the  disease  may  be  much 


Co77imo7i  Ailme7its.       -  83 

more  virulent  and  fatal  than  at  other  times, 
or  in  some  kennels  more  than  in  others,  is 
it  not  also  true  that  climatic  or  atmospheric 
conditions  may  be  responsible  for  an  ex- 
ceptionally severe  season  on  the  one  hand, 
and  sanitary  or  dietary  conditions  on  the 
other  ? 

There  is  scarcely  a  well-known  disease 
of  any  description  but  what  will,  at  differ- 
ent seasons  and  in  different  individuals, 
show  as  many  and  varied  forms  as  can  be 
found  in  the  disease  under  question.  I 
have  often  been  called  to  examine  severe 
cases,  but  in  every  instance  the  ordinary 
symptoms  were  present  together  with  other 
symptoms,  undoubtedly  induced  by  the  se- 
verity of  the  attack,  the  cause  of  which  it 
was  not  always  easy  to  determine ;  but,  as 
a  rule,  careful  investigation  would  show  a 
strong  probability,  to  say  the  least,  that 
the  severity  of  the  attack  was  due  to  the 
fact  that  the  one  who  had  charge  of  the 
animal  had  imperfectly  done,  or  had  left 


84  Nursing  vs.   Dosing. 

undone,  things  of  vital  Importance,  which, 
if  they  had  been  properly  attended  to, 
would  probably  have  rendered  the  attack 
comparatively  harmless.  I  am  well  aware 
that  this  view  of  the  case  cannot  be  proved 
to  be  absolutely  correct ;  that  It  Is,  however, 
very  nearly  so  I  am  w^ell  convinced. 

As  I  have  before  remarked,  proper  sani- 
tary and  dietary  conditions  are  of  the 
utmost  importance  at  all  times,  but  never 
more  necessary  than  when  that  scourge  of 
the  kennel,  distemper,  is  prevalent. 

There  Is  no  favored  season  of  the  year 
that  is  entirely  exempt  from  this  disease, 
neither  is  there  a  surety  that  the  best  man- 
aged kennel  will  escape  Its  ravages.  It  is 
usually  more  prevalent  and  more  virulent 
during  the  spring  months  ;  fall  also  has  Its 
share  of  victims,  while  midsummer  and  mid- 
winter are  comparatively  free  from  it. 

Experiments  have  been  made  with  vac- 
cination for  this  disease,  but  as  yet  no 
decidedly  beneficial  results  have  been  ob- 


Common  Ailments.  85 

talned.  It  Is  to  be  hoped,  however,  that  In 
the  near  future  some  Jenner  will  appear 
and  bestow  upon  man's  best  friend  at  least 
partial  immunity  from  it. 

The  many  complications  that  appear 
with  distemper  will  seldom  trouble  the  ani- 
mal that  has  been  brought  up  and  cared 
for  In  the  manner  that  I  have  endeavored 
to  describe ;  at  least,  this  has  been  my  ex- 
perience in  most  of  the  cases  that  have 
come  under  my  supervision. 

Of  course,  the  fevered  and  disturbed 
condition  of  the  entire  system  predisposes 
the  animal  to  other  disorders  that  healthy 
vigor  would  entirely  escape,  or  scarcely 
notice.  Thus  a  slight  cold,  that  in  health 
would  scarcely  be  noticed,  becomes  a  seri- 
ous matter  when  the  frame  is  weakened 
and  the  tissues  are  inflamed  by  disease,  and 
pulmonary  and  bronchial  affections  are 
often  the  result. 

In  nearly  all  diseases  that  affect  the  en- 
tire   system,   it    is    the  weakest    part    that 


86  Nursing  vs.  Dosmg. 

shows  the  greatest  disturbance,  and  there 
is  no  disease  common  to  dog  life  which 
tends  more  to  search  out  and  find  the  weak 
spots  than  distemper.  It  often  happens 
that  a  latent  weakness,  perhaps  entirely 
unsuspected,  is  brought  to  notice;  and  it 
may  be  aggravated  to  an  extent  that,  in 
some  cases,  may  prove  to  be  very  serious. 

Dogs  of  a  high  strung,  nervous  tempera- 
ment are  more  subject  to  nervous  affections 
than  are  those  of  one  more  phlegmatic,  as 
the  inflammation  and  derangement  of  the 
nerve  centers  may  not  apparently  disturb 
the  equanimity  of  the  latter,  while  the  same 
causes  will  produce  a  marked  appearance  of 
irritation  of  the  nervous  system  in  the  for- 
mer. So  also  almost  any  weakness,  visible 
or  otherwise,  will  be  differently  affected  in 
different  animals,  often  when  we  are  unable 
to  determine  the  cause  for  any  variation. 

Eczema* 
Eczema    is    frequently   a   result    of   dis- 


Common  Ailme^its,  87 

temper,  as  it  Is  also  of  other  diseases  which 
severely  tax  vitality  and  impoverish  the 
blood.  One  of  the  worst  features  of  this 
disease  is  that  it  often  exists  and  makes 
considerable  headway  before  it  is  discov- 
ered, and  it  is  often  the  case  that  attention 
is  first  called  to  it  by  the  persistent  scratch- 
ing by  the  victim. 

In  order  to  prevent  the  disease  from  ob- 
taining a  foothold  unknown  to  you,  your 
dog  should  be  subjected  to  a  thorough  ex- 
amination at  least  once  a  week,  and  in  case 
of  illness  it  is  a  very  good  plan  to  examine 
him  daily  by  passing  the  hand  over  every 
portion  of  his  body,  in  order  that  you  may 
detect  at  once  the  presence  of  the  trouble 
by  the  roughened  or  pimply  feeling  of 
the  skin. 

When  the  trouble  is  caused  by  debility, 
nutritious  food  must  be  freely  given,  and 
every  effort  be  made  to  build  up  and 
strengthen  the  system  —  giving  frequent 
meals  of  meat,   strong  meat   broths,   raw 


SS  Nursing  vs.  Dosing. 

eggs  well  beaten  in  milk,  and  withholding 
all  vegetable  substances  until  the  patient  is 
convalescent.  If  any  signs  of  constipation 
be  present,  the  bowels  should  be  kept  mod- 
erately open  by  small  doses  of  sweet  oil  and 
syrup  of  buckthorn  in  equal  parts,  given  in 
teaspoonful  doses  two  or  three  times  a  day, 
if  necessary ;  but  great  care  must  be  taken 
not  to  overdo  the  matter,  thereby  weaken- 
ing the  patient. 

Epsom  salts,  when  properly  adminis- 
tered, are  excellent  in  all  cases  of  cutane- 
ous affections,  as  they  purify  the  system 
and  cool  the  blood,  and  thus  assist  nature 
to  throw  off  the  disease.  Very  small  doses 
will  do  wonders,  when  a  large  dose,  such 
as  is  usually  given,  will  act  as  an  irritant 
and  frequently  do  more  harm  than  good. 
A  dog  of  about  fifty  pounds  weight  should 
have  one-half  of  a  teaspoonful  just  be- 
fore eating,  once  a  day,  for  three  or  four 
days ;  or,  in  extreme  cases,  the  treatment 
may    be    continued    for    a    week,    and,    if 


Common  Aibncnis.  89 

thought  necessary,  after  an  Interval  of 
three  or  four  days,  it  may  be  repeated. 
For  dogs  under  fifty  pounds  In  weight,  and 
puppies,  the  dose  should  be  proportionate- 
ly smaller,  bearing  in  mind  that  the  medi- 
cine Is  not  administered  as  a  laxative,  but 
as  an  alterative. 

Sulphur  is  also  very  useful  in  this  dis- 
order, when  it  is  properly  administered. 
Large  doses  should  never  be  given,  as  an 
overdose  will  nearly  always  act  as  an  irri- 
tant, and  pass  through  the  bowels  so  quick- 
ly that  not  nearly  the  benefit  will  be  de- 
rived from  It  as  from  a  dose  administered 
In  the  proper  quantity. 

The  dose  for  a  dog  of  about  fifty  pounds 
weight  should  not  exceed  In  quantity  a 
lump  the  size  of  a  pea,  and  for  smaller 
animals  the  dose  should  be  reduced  in 
like  ratio.  It  should  be  finely  powdered, 
and  may  be  given  In  milk  or  In  a  bit  of 
meat  once  a  day  for  a  week,  or  longer, 
should  the  case  appear  to  demand  It.    This 


go  Nzirsing  vs.   Dosing, 

quantity  will  be  readily  assimilated,  and  its 
medicinal  properties,  in  passing  out  of  the 
system,  will  accomplish  their  mission. 

The  secretions  in  the  stomach  of  the  dog 
have  the  power  of  dissolving  this  mineral, 
which  is  entirely  insoluble  in  water.  The 
practice  of  placing  a  lump  of  it  in  the  drink- 
ing vessel  of  your  dog  is  simply  ridiculous, 
as  there  is  not  even  a  remote  possibility 
that  he  will  derive  the  slightest  benefit 
from  it. 

Surfeit  is  a  term  generally  used  to  desig- 
nate eczema  when  it  is  caused  by  overfeed- 
ing and  lack  of  proper  exercise.  In  such 
cases  the  first  thing  to  be  done  is  to  re- 
strict the  diet,  feeding  only  simple  arti- 
cles of  food  and  reducing  the  quantity.  A 
large  dose  of  epsom  salts  may  now  be  ad- 
ministered with  benefit ;  from  two  to  three 
teaspoonfuls  may  be  given  the  first  time, 
and  the  treatment  continued  as  advised 
with  the  smaller  quantity  ;  unless  constipa- 
tion  is   manifest,  in   which   case   the  large 


Conimo7i  Ailnieiitsi  91 

dose  can  be  repeated  occasionally,  but  not 
too  often,  as  the  sweet  oil  and  syrup  of 
buckthorn  should  be  used  if  the  constipa- 
tion is  obstinate. 

It  is  always  advisable  to  treat  this  dis- 
order externally  in  addition  to  the  internal 
remedies  prescribed  ;  and,  as  there  is  a  pos- 
sibility that  mange,  instead  of  eczema,  may 
be  the  cause  of  the  trouble,  it  is  best  to 
apply  a  remedy  that  will  be  suitable  in 
either  case.  The  best  remedy  that  I  have 
ever  used  is  an  ointment  made  as  follows: 
Balsam  of  Peru  and  sulphur,  each  one 
ounce ;  lard,  six  ounces.  These  should  be 
thoroughly  mixed  together  without  heat- 
ing, unless  the  lard  is  very  cold  and  hard, 
in  W'hich  case  it  may  be  slightly  warmed, 
but  not  melted.  A  large  earthen  plate  and 
a  case  knife  will  do  admirably  for  the  mix- 
ing, or  a  sheet  of  heavy  paper  will  answer 
if  the  plate  Is  not  handy.  The  ointment 
should  be  freely  applied  to  the  affected 
parts  three  or  four  times  a  day,  and  w^ell 


92  Niu'siiig  vs.   Dosing. 

rubbed  In  each  time,  taking  care  to  rub 
gently,  In  order  that  the  inflamed  parts 
may  not  be  Irritated.  This  preparation, 
when  faithfully  applied,  will.  In  most  cases, 
completely  cure  mange  In  Its  Incipient 
stage.  The  treatment  should  be  continued 
from  four  to  eight  clays,  according  to  the 
persistence  of  the  trouble.  In  obstinate 
cases  of  eczema,  when  the  system  Is  great- 
ly weakened  by  disease,  we  cannot  look 
for  complete  recovery  until  the  disturbing 
cause  Is  removed,  and  the  patient  restored 
to  his  normal  condition.  The  chief  reli- 
ance must  be  upon  nutritious  food,  judi- 
ciously supplied,  with  careful  nursing. 

Need  of  Proper  Care* 

As  I  have  already  stated,  dogs  that  re- 
ceive proper  care,  and  are  kept  in  vigorous 
healtli,  will  nearly  always  succeed  in  throw- 
ing off  many  of  the  ordinary  ills  to  which 
they  are  subject;  and  even  when  disease 
does  gain  a  foothold,  their  powc^rs  of  resist- 


Common  Ailments,  93 

ance  to  Its  influence  are  such  that  recov- 
ery Is  much  more  rapid  than  It  would  be 
were  the  system  enfeebled  from  lack  of 
proper  food  and  care,  or  weakened  by  dis- 
ease. This  fact  Is  self-evident,  and  I  need 
not  dwell  upon  It ;  but  at  the  risk  of  be- 
ing thought  guilty  of  needless  repetition,  I 
must  dwell  upon  the  paramount  Impor- 
tance of  always  keeping  your  dog  up  to  the 
mark  In  health  and  vigor  by  careful  atten- 
tion to  the  many  little  things,  trivial  per- 
haps, but  of  real  Importance  to  the  welfare 
of  your  pet  when  he  Is  called  upon,  by  ac- 
cident or  disease,  to  battle  for  life  and 
health.  How  often  do  we  see  valuable 
animals  droop  and  die  from  no  apparent 
cause  that  Is  at  all  sufficient  to  produce  the 
result,  or  perhaps  linger  along  In  wretched 
feebleness.  In  spite  of  all  that  can  be  done 
for  them,  simply  for  the  reason  that  they 
lack  the  necessary  vitality  to  enable  them 
to  withstand  the  effects  of  some  disease, 
perhaps   trivial   In   Itself,    or  which    would 


94  Nursing  vs.  Dosing. 

have  been  so  had  the  victim  possessed 
health  and  strength.  Yet  how  seldom  is 
given  the  true  reason  for  the  unfortunate 
state  of  affairs.  Constitutional  weakness, 
a  severe  cold,  or  other  equally  absurd  sup- 
positions, will  be  blamed,  but  never  a  hint 
that  the  poor  dog  was  sacrificed  by  his 
owner's  ignorance,  carelessness  or  indiffer- 
ence. 

It  is  true  that  there  are  cases  of  consti- 
tutional weakness,  and  it  is  also  true  that 
occasionally  a  severe  cold  or  other  malady 
will  prove  to  be  disastrous,  perhaps  from 
causes  beyond  our  control  or  that  we  do 
not  understand  ;  but  in  a  very  large  major- 
ity of  cases  of  this  nature  the  primary  causes 
arc  lack  of  health  and  vitality,  the  results 
of  want  of  proper  food  and  care. 

Many  who  own  dogs  are  not  aware  of 
the  amount  of  thought  that  they  should 
give  to  proper  food  and  care  if  they  would 
have  healthy  animals.  Ignorance,  careless- 
ness or,  worse  than  these,  indifference  to 


Common  Ailments,  95 

the  needs  of  the  animal  under  their  care, 
especially  if  he  is  deprived  of  his  liberty, 
sooner  or  later  will  surely  result  in  disaster. 

Dogs  that  are  entirely  unconfined  will 
generally  take  pretty  good  care  of  them- 
selves. Neglect  to  properly  feed  and 
care  for  them  may  not  be  productive  of 
serious  results  unless  the  food  supply  is  too 
precarious. 

Among  the  ladies  are  many  who  literally 
kill  their  pets  with  kindness.  An  unlimit- 
ed supply  of  food,  often  consisting  largely 
of  substances  not  easily  digested,  lack  of 
pure  air  and  exercise,  confinement  in  close, 
hot  rooms,  with  no  opportunity  to  observe 
the  calls  of  nature  at  the  proper  times,  long 
periods  of  undisturbed  repose,  and  often 
irritation  of  the  nervous  system  by  teasing, 
constitute  a  course  of  ill  treatment  that,  to 
say  the  least,  is  not  conducive  to  the  health 
and  welfare  of  your  pet.  I  know  that  it 
is  almost  impossible  to  deny  the  cunning 
little  beggars  just  a  little  piece  of  any  tid- 


96  Ntirsi7ig  vs.  Dosing. 

bit  that  may  be  going,  nor  is  it  always  con- 
venient to  devote  the  time  necessary  to 
give  them  a  run  in  the  open  air;  yet  if  you 
wish  to  keep  your  pet  up  to  the  mark  in 
health  and  spirits,  it  is  all-important  that 
these  matters  should  be  scrupulously  at- 
tended to.  An  occasional  trifle  of  sweets 
will,  in  most  cases,  do  no  harm,  but  too 
much  will  derange  the  digestive  organs, 
and  serious  complications  may  result. 

Regular  meals  twice  a  day  are  sufficient, 
taking  care  that  these  meals  consist  for 
the  most  part  of  simple  food,  such  as 
meats,  bits  of  bread,  vegetables  and  milk, 
with  very  little  cake  or  sweetmeats.  This 
course,  if  adopted  at  the  beginning,  will  be 
cheerfully  accepted,  and  if  nothing  is  given 
except  at  the  regular  time  you  will  have  no 
trouble.  If,  however,  your  pet  has  been 
brought  up  wrong,  and  is  accustomed  to 
having  food  and  dainties  at  all  times,  he 
will  undoubtedly  resent  any  innovation 
upon  the  usual  order  of  things,  and  cause 


Common  Ailments.  97 

you  considerable  trouble  and  anxiety  be- 
fore he  submits.  You  must  not  give  in  to 
him,  however,  but  firmly  insist  upon  con- 
ferring on  him  the  wholesome  appetite,  in 
spite  of  his  repugnance ;  and  should  he  re- 
fuse to  eat  when  the  food  is  offered,  do  not 
fear,  even  if  he  persists  in  fasting,  as  there 
is  no  record  of  any  dog  having  starved 
himself  to  death  under  such  conditions. 

I  once  had  a  pet  pug  placed  under  my 
care  that  was  suffering  from  a  multitude  of 
ills,  chief  of  which  were  obesity  and  eczema. 
He  had  for  a  long  time  been  tlie  pampered 
pet  of  an  indulgent  mistress,  who  fed  him 
sw^eetmeats  and  dainties  at  all  times  of  the 
day  and  night,  until  he  had  become  so 
fat  that  he  could  scarcely  waddle,  and  so 
disgusting  from  the  diseased  condition  of 
his  skin  that  even  the  great  love  of  his  mis- 
tress could  not  tolerate  his  presence.  With 
tearful  eyes  and  many  injunctions  to  give 
the  dear  creature  plenty  of  cake  and  sweet- 
meats,   she  at   length   placed   him  in   my 


gS  Nursing  vs.  Dosing. 

hands  and  bade  him  a  tender  adieu.  As  it 
was  in  summer  time,  I  placed  him  in  a  cool 
box  stall,  with  a  clean  dirt  floor,  a  bit  of 
carpet  for  him  to  lie  on,  and  a  dish  of 
water  to  drink. 

At  supper  time  I  poured  down  his  throat 
a  good  dose  of  epsom  salts  and  set  before 
him  a  dish  of  bread  and  milk  ;  but  with  a 
look  of  supreme  disgust  he  turned  away, 
and  I  removed  it.  This  treatment  was  fol- 
lowed up  twice  a  day,  and  it  was  not  until 
the  fourth  day  that  he  would  look  at  the 
food,  and  even  then  he  only  lapped  a  few 
drops  of  milk.  The  next  morning,  in  a 
very  dainty  manner,  he  ate  about  half  a 
cup  of  milk,  but  refused  the  bread,  and  a 
full  week  passed  before  he  would  touch  it ; 
but,  as  I  had  greatly  reduced  the  quantity 
of  milk,  he  finally  took  a  bit  of  it  in  his 
mouth  and,  with  a  very  sheepish  look  at 
me,  finished  his  allowance.  After  this 
there  was  no  trouble  on  this  score  and  he 
always  cleaned  up  his  rather  scant  rations. 


Common  Ailments.  99 

By  pursuing  this  course,  together  with  the 
free  use  of  the  balsam  of  Peru  and  lard 
ointment,  I  succeeded  in  making  a  new 
dog  of  him,  and  at  the  expiration  of  six 
weeks,  when  his  mistress  returned  from  the 
mountains,  I  had  the  pleasure  of  present- 
ing to  her  a  sound  and  healthy  animal,  in 
place  of  the  loathsome  object  she  had  left 
in  my  care. 

Pet  dogs,  when  properly  cared  for,  are 
much  longer  lived,  more  companionable, 
cause  less  anxiety  and  trouble,  and  are  very 
much  more  cheerful  and  comfortable  than 
when  they  are  overfed  or  too  closely  con- 
fined, and  allowed  to  become  fat  and  dis- 
eased. Or,  if  their  digestive  organs  are 
weakened  or  destroyed  by  injudicious  food, 
a  train  of  diseases  is  likely  to  be  brought 
on  that  renders  them,  and  all  who  come 
in  contact  with  them,  miserable  and  dis- 
gusted. 

It  is  believed  by  many  that  both  sugar 
and  salt  are  injurious  to  dogs,  but  this  is  a 


lOO  Nursing  vs.  Dosing. 

mistaken  idea,  as  neither  substance  is  dele- 
terious when  properly  used.  I  do  not  rec- 
ommend sugar  as  a  regular  article  of  food, 
nor  that  it  be  at  all  freely  used,  but  an  oc- 
casional bit  of  sweet  will  no  more  harm  a 
healthy  animal  than  it  will  yourself. 

Salt  I  believe  to  be  necessary  to  all  ani- 
mals, especially  the  dog.  I  once  thought 
otherwise,  but  exhaustive  experiment  con- 
vinced me  that  it  is  as  necessary  to  the  dog 
as  to  man,  and  I  would  as  soon  think  of 
eating  my  vegetables  without  this  condi- 
ment as  I  would  of  giving  them  in  this  con- 
dition to  my  dog.  House  pets,  that  are 
fed  upon  the  scraps  from  the  table,  usually 
obtain  salt  sufificient  for  their  needs,  but  it 
is  well  to  see  that  they  have  a  proper  quan- 
tity by  seasoning  their  food  with  it  as  you 
would  for  yourself. 

Sour  Stomach. 

Nearly  all  dogs  that  are  deprived  of 
their  liberty,  either  wholly  or  in  part,  are 


Common    A  ilm,e7i ts.  i  6  i 

subject  to  what  Is  known  as  'soiii''- stohiach', 
generally  caused  by  overfeeding^,  fr-ipiarrcH 
digestion,  or  the  presence  of  food  that  fer- 
ments before  digestion  takes  place.  A 
sour  breath,  often  accompanied  with  vom- 
iting or  Indications  of  it,  are  symptoms  that 
generally  accompany  this  trouble.  A  sim- 
ple and  very  efficacious  corrective  of  this 
is  to  be  found  in  common  cooking  soda,  or 
bicarbonate  of  soda.  The  dose  for  a  fifty- 
pound  dog  is  a  level  teaspoonful  dissolved 
in  a  small  quantity  of  water  or  milk,  to  be 
repeated  two  or  three  times,  each  half  hour, 
if  thought  to  be  necessary.  Usually,  how- 
ever, one  dose  will  be  sufficient.  For 
smaller  animals  the  dose  should  be  propor- 
tionately reduced,  and  one-half  the  quanti- 
ty will  be  sufficient  for  an  animal  the  size 
of  a  fox  terrier.  This  simple  remedy  I 
have  found  to  be  invaluable,  and  for  many 
years  I  have  freely  used  it,  both  for  myself 
and  family  as  well  as  for  my  dogs. 

My  knowledge   of   the    efficacy  of  this 


lo^  NiLvsing  vs.   Dosing, 

remedy  '  was-  obtained  more  than  forty 
years'  a^o  in  the'  wilds  of  Iowa,  while  on  a 
shooting  trip.  One  of  my  dogs  was  at- 
tacked with  a  spell  of  retching  that  con- 
tinued for  some  time,  and  a  lady  where  I 
was  staying  suggested  the  remedy,  and  it 
was  at  once  administered,  with  most  benefi- 
cial results.  Although  I  have  since  that 
time  sorted  the  contents  of  my  medicine 
chest  many  times,  and  discarded  a  very 
large  proportion  of  them,  cooking  sock 
still  remains  one  of  the  most  valued  arti- 
cles it  contains. 

Vermin. 

One  of  the  most  disagreeable  of  the  an- 
noyances incident  to  dog  life  is  the  pres- 
ence of  vermin.  Fleas,  ticks  and  lice  arc 
seemingly  ever  present,  and  the  poor  dogs 
must  suffer  untold  tortures  from  the  irri- 
tating ravages  of  these  torments.  Scien- 
tists divide  fleas  into  two  families  or 
species,  but  for  our  purpose  a  ilea  is  a  flea, 


Common  Aibnents.  103 

and  nothing  more.  I  am  not  aware  that 
the  bad  quaHties  of  one  family  are  offset  by 
any  superlative  goodness  possessed  by  the 
other.  As  for  ticks  and  lice,  the  does 
have  occasion  to  be  thankful  that  only  one 
variety  of  each  Is  allowed  to  permanently 
trouble  them. 

There  are  quite  a  number  of  Insecticides 
which  are  harmless  that  by  constant  use 
will  free  the  dog  and  his  kennel  from  all 
of  these  parasites,  but  it  must  be  borne  in 
mind  that  none  of  them  will  accomplish 
this  effectually  for  more  than  a  brief 
period.  If  you  would  have  your  dog  free 
from  their  attacks,  there  is  nothing  that 
will  accomplish  it  except  careful  w^atchlng 
and  instant  treatment  as  soon  as  they  make 
their  appearance. 

Many  substances  that  will  destroy  or 
drive  away  the  insects  will  not  impair  the 
vitality  of  the  eggs  that  they  may  have  de- 
posited, and  in  a  few  days,  or  perhaps 
hours,  they  will   again   put   in   an  appear- 


I04  Nursing  vs.   Dosing. 

ance.  I  have  tried  a  great  many  of  the 
well-known  remedies,  and,  taking  every- 
thing into  consideration,  naphtha  stands  at 
the  head  of  the  list.  Its  fumes  are  dis- 
agreeable to  the  pests  and  will  drive  them 
away,  while  actual  contact  with  the  fluid 
will  kill  them,  and  at  the  same  time,  if  used 
as  it  should  be,  in  moderate  quantity,  it  is 
perfectly  harmless  to  the  dog.  It  is  also 
cleanly,  very  easily  applied,  and  it  is  not 
necessary  to  wash  the  dog  after  using  it,  as 
the  odor  from  it  will  be  dissipated  in  a 
very  short  time.  The  manner  in  which  it 
should  be  applied  is  very  simple  :  pour  a 
small  quantity  into  a  saucer  or  other  earth- 
en dish  ;  then  with  a  small,  soft  brush — a 
flat  one  about  two  inches  wide  is  best — 
paint  the  dog  lightly  from  nose  to  end  of 
tail.  This  will  kill  or  drive  away  the  para- 
sites, but  will  not  destroy  the  eggs,  and  the 
operation  should  be  repeated  three  or  four 
times  at  intervals  of  about  three  days,  and  as 
often  afterward  as  is  found  to  be  necessary. 


Common  Ailments.  105 

If  the  dog  Is  kept  in  a  kennel,  this  should 
also  be  painted  with  a  free  hand,  taking 
care  that  the  fluid  enters  every  crack  and 
crevice.  His  bed,  If  one  Is  used,  should  be 
sprinkled  lightly  with  the  fluid  by  dipping 
the  brush  in  It  and  flirting  it  over  the 
entire  surface  of  both  sides.  By  hanging 
It  on  a  line  out  of  doors  this  can  be  quick- 
ly done,  and  so  quickly  does  It  evaporate 
that  the  bed  will  be  ready  for  use  in  a  very 
short  time. 

When  using  it  on  the  dog,  a  very  small 
quantity  will  be  sufflclent ;  but  in  spraying 
the  kennel  it  may  be  freely  used,  always 
bearing  In  mind  that  it  Is  of  a  very  Inflam- 
mable nature,  and  great  caution  must  be 
used  to  see  that  there  is  no  danger  of  set- 
tings It  on  fire. 

Many  writers  recommend  the  use  of 
preparations  of  mercury  and  carbolic  acid, 
but  I  am  far  from  agreeing  with  them. 
Indeed,  I  strongly  advise  that  they  never 
be  used  In  any  form  upon  the  dog,  as  there 


io6  Nursing  vs.  Dosing. 

Is  great  danger  from  poisoning,  either  by 
the  dog  swallowing  it  when  licking  himself, 
or  from  absorption.  I  also  advise  that 
mercurial  preparations  be  never  given  in- 
ternally, as  their  action  upon  the  salivary 
glands  Is  such  that  serious  results  are 
nearly  sure  to  follow.  Man  can  swal- 
low almost  anything  w^Ith  impunity,  but 
the  dog  is  differently  constituted  In  this 
respect.  Some  drugs,  that  are  In  com- 
mon use  by  the  medical  fraternity  for  the 
Ills  of  mankind,  appear  to  be  inactive  or 
pernicious  In  effect  when  administered  to 
the  dog.  Mercury,  for  instance,  has  for 
many  years  been  highly  esteemed  and  free- 
ly administered  to  man,  presumably  with 
beneficial  results,  or  It  would  have  long  ago 
been  discontinued  ;  but,  as  before  stated.  Its 
action  Is  not  productive  of  good  when  ad- 
ministered to  dogs.  Opium  also  has  been 
in  use  for  acres  to  alleviate  or  dull  the 
sense  of  pain  In  the  human  subject,  and 
there  are  very  few  throughout  the  world 


Common  Ailments.  107 

who  at  some  period  of  their  existence  have 
not  blessed  the  soothing  influence  of  this 
potent  drug.  When  it  is  administered  to 
the  dog,  at  least  in  a  very  large  majority  of 
cases,  it  appears  to  be  very  nearly,  if  not 
entirely,  inoperative,  even  when  given  in 
quantity  that  would  endanger  the  life  of 
the  strongest  man.  I  believe  that  the  in- 
fluence of  the  drug,  however,  may  be  bene- 
ficial, in  a  measure,  by  the  soothing  effect 
it  exerts  upon  the  organs  with  which  it 
comes  in  contact ;  and  therefore,  in  cases 
that  seem  to  demand  its  use,  it  may  be 
given  without  fear  of  dangerous  result.  I 
prefer  to  administer  it  in  the  form  of  pare- 
goric, in  teaspoonful  doses,  once  an  hour 
or  two  hours,  as  the  case  appears  to  de- 
mand. 

If  morphine  is  used  instead,  the  dose 
should  be  one-eighth  grain,  regulating  the 
time  of  repeating  it  as  directed  for  the  pare- 
goric. I  once  had  a  seven-months-old  pup- 
py that  was  suffering  from  a  severe  attack 


io8  Nursing  vs.  Dosing. 

of  inflammation  of  the  bowels,  consequent 
to  a  turn  of  colic,  and  so  severe  did  the 
pain  appear  to  be  that,  at  the  expiration  of 
fifteen  minutes,  I  repeated  the  dose  of  mor- 
phine ;  and,  as  his  cries  of  pain  increased  in 
intensity,  at  the  end  of  fifteen  minutes  I 
doubled  the  dose,  but  without  apparent  ef- 
fect, and,  as  his  suffering  was  terribly  acute, 
I  abandoned  all  hope  of  saving  his  life. 
To  put  an  end  to  his  distress,  I  gave  him 
every  few  minutes  two  or  three  of  the  one- 
eighth  grain  pills  until  I  had  administered 
no  less  than  six  grains  of  the  powerful 
drug  within  the  space  of  two  hours,  with- 
out apparent  effect.  His  howls  and  cries 
were  now  incessant,  and  continued  without 
any  intermission  for  nearly  four  hours 
longer,  when  he  appeared  to  be  a  little 
easier.  At  the  end  of  another  hour  the 
pain  had  subsided,  and  he  curled  up  and 
went  to  sleep,  continuing  quiet  for  nearly 
two  hours,  when  he  awoke  as  bright  as  a 
new  button,  and  in  a  few  days  was  as  well 


Common  Ailments.  109 

as  ever.  I  scarcely  need  add  that  I  was 
greatly  surprised  at  the  result,  knowing 
that  the  drugr  was  all  riorht,  havinor  taken 
one  of  the  pills  myself  but  a  few  days  pre- 
vious. I  was  also  surprised  that  he  should 
recover  from  so  severe  an  attack,  and 
whether  the  drug  was  of  any  benefit  to  him 
or  not  I  could  not  determine.  I  give  this 
instance  merely  to  show  that  the  action  of 
this  drug  cannot  always  be  depended  upon 
in  canine  practice. 

The  use  of  drastic  medicines  and  power- 
ful drugs  in  canine  practice  is  not  nearly  so 
common  now  as  formerly,  but  there  are 
many  practitioners  who  continue  to  fol- 
low in  the  footsteps  of  the  shining  lights  of 
ancient  days,  and  who  still  continue  to  deal 
out  to  their  patients  many  an  old-time 
remedy  that  modern  science  has  replaced 
with  less  dangerous  but  far  more  useful 
material ;  and  it  is  to  be  devoutly  hoped  by 
every  lover  of  man's  best  friend  that  the 
good  work  will  go  on  until  all  the  mistakes 


I  lo  Nursing  vs.  Dosing. 

and  guesswork  of  the  ancients  shall  be 
eliminated  from  the  treatment  our  pets  re- 
ceive while  suffering  from  accident  or  dis- 
ease. This  is  not  intended  as  a  homily  to 
the  practitioners,  but  as  a  hint  to  the 
owner  when  he  is  selecting  a  surgeon  or 
physician  to  treat  the  ills  of  his  pet. 

Canker  of  the  Ear* 

There  is  probably  no  disease  to  which 
the  dog  is  subject  that  has  been  more  im- 
properly treated  with  harsh  and  pernicious 
measures  than  so-called  canker  of  the 
ear.  This,  in  its  first  stages,  is  simply  an 
inflammation  of  the  lining  membrane  of 
the  ear  passage,  and,  if  it  is  taken  in  hand 
in  time,  readily  yields  to  simple  treat- 
ment ;  but,  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  seat 
of  the  trouble  is  hidden  from  sight,  it  is  often 
the  case  that  it  becomes  a  serious  matter 
before  one  is  aware  that  anything  is  amiss. 

The  trouble  is  attributable  to  many 
causes,  but  chiefly  to  some  derangement  of 


Common  Ailments.  iii 

the  digestive  organs,  which  induces  inflam- 
mation that  extends  to  the  very  sensitive 
membrane  of  the  ear,  and  if  not  soon  re- 
Heved  it  will  result  in  ulceration  or  canker. 
Some  writers,  for  whose  opinions  I  have 
the  greatest  respect,  are  skeptical  regard- 
ing the  theory  that  improper  diet  causes 
this  complaint,  and  attribute  its  presence  to 
other  causes,  laying  great  stress  upon  the 
fact  that  the  disease  appears  to  be  heredi- 
tary, and  that  a  tendency  to  it  at  least  is 
transmitted  In  some  famihes  from  genera- 
tion to  generation.  While  admitting  the 
truth  of  this  —  as  my  experience  corrob- 
orates it — I  must,  in  the  absence  of  proof 
to  the  contrary,  be  allowed  the  belief  that, 
as  there  must  have  been  a  starting  point 
somewhere,  improper  diet  was  that  starting 
point  in  a  very  large  percentage  of  Instances. 
Blows  on  the  head,  foreign  substances, 
hardened  secretions  of  wax,  filthy  kennels, 
and  other  causes  have  a  share  In  producing 
the  disease. 


1 1 2  Nursing  vs.  Dosing, 

As  a  rule,  clogs  that  are  properly  cared 
for  are  seldom  afflicted  with  it.  There  is 
also  a  disease  of  the  interior  of  the  ear  of 
the  dog,  caused  by  the  presence  of  a  minute 
parasite,  whose  ravages  cause  the  poor  ani- 
mal no  end  of  discomfort.  This  trouble  in 
all  its  symptoms  exactly  resembles  canker, 
but  will  not  yield  to  the  treatment  that 
readily  overcomes  that  disease,  and  harsher 
remedies  must  be  applied,  often  to  the  ruin 
of  the  hearing  and  health  of  the  victim. 

This  disease  I  believe  to  be  rarely  met 
with,  and,  as  the  remedy  is  too  harsh  and 
powerful  for  general  use,  I  will  not  pre- 
scribe for  it ;  but  simply  advise  that  you 
consult  a  skilled  veterinarian  when  the 
remedies  recommended  for  canker,  upon 
thorough  trial,  fail  to  effect  a  cure  within  a 
few  days. 

The  symptoms  of  internal  canker  are 
usually  not  noticed  until  the  disease  is 
somewhat  advanced,  when  your  attention 
is    called    to    something   being    wrong   by 


Common  Ailments.  113 

the   dog  shaking  his  head    or    scratching 
the   base    of   the    ear,  or   perhaps   by   an 
offensive  odor.     An  examination  will  show 
the   inside   of  the   ear  to   be    red   and   in- 
flamed, and   perhaps   somewhat    puffed   or 
swollen,  and  if  the  disease  is  of  long  stand- 
ing there  is  usually  a  tar-like  liquid  pres- 
ent, together  with  an  offensive  odor.     The 
first   remedy  to   be   applied   is  warm    and 
strong     castile     soap     suds.      Thoroughly 
wash  out  the  ear  with  a  soft  sponge,  and 
when  the  external  orifice  is  clean,  turn  the 
head   one   side   and   fill    the   ear  with   the 
warm  soap  suds,  and  gently  knead  the  base 
with  the   fingers,  working  the  water   into 
the  cavity,  repeating  this  four  or  five  times 
during    the    day.     A   syringe,    if   properly 
used,  is  very  helpful,  as  with  Its  aid  the  in- 
most recesses  of  the  ear  can  be  cleansed, 
but  I  am  loth  to  recommend  its  use  unless 
by  experienced  hands,  as  the  ear  is  one  of 
the  most  sensitive  and  tender  organs  of  the 
body,  and  unless  great  care  is  taken  to  do 


1 1 4  Nursing  vs.   Dosing. 

the  necessary  work  very  gently,  evil  results 
and  perhaps  permanent  injury  to  the  pa- 
tient's hearing  may  follow.  I  would  rec- 
ommend any  one  unaccustomed  to  its  use 
to  first  practice  upon  their  own  ear  until 
they  become  sufficiently  experienced  to 
minister  to  their  patient  without  danger  to 
the  very  delicate  organism  under  treat- 
ment. After  thoroughly  cleansing  the  ear, 
wipe  dry  with  a  soft  cloth,  and  drop  into 
the  ear  about  ten  drops  of  extract  of  witch 
hazel  and  glycerine  in  equal  parts.  This 
should  be  blood-warm,  and  the  head  held 
on  one  side  until  the  mixture  runs  well  into 
the  ear. 

This  treatment  in  many  cases  will  be  all 
that  is  necessary  to  effect  a  cure  ;  but  if  the 
trouble  does  not  seem  to  yield  readily  to  it, 
the  followincr  mixture  should  be  used: 
bromo  chloralum,  one  part ;  laudanum, 
one  part ;  extract  of  witch  hazel,  two  parts  ; 
w^ater,  four  parts. 

After  cleansing  the  ear  with  the  warm 


Co7nmon  Ailments.  115 

soap  suds  as  directed,  turn  the  head  on 
one  side  and  completely  fill  the  cavity  of 
the  ear  with  the  mixture,  and  gently  manipu- 
late the  base  of  the  ear  with  the  fingers,  in 
order  to  work  it  into  the  passage  thorough- 
ly. Repeat  this  course  three  times  a  day 
for  two  days,  and  in  ordinary  cases  a  com- 
plete cure  will  be  effected,  or  at  least  great 
improvement  in  the  condition  of  the  pa- 
tient will  be  manifest.  Should  the  trouble, 
however,  not  yield  readily  to  this  treat- 
ment, you  would  better  at  once  call  in  the 
services  of  an  experienced  veterinarian. 

External  canker  is  generally  understood 
to  mean  almost  any  ailment  that  affects  the 
outer  cavity,  the  inside  of  the  flap  or  the 
edoe  of  the  ear.  Intlammation  of  the  outer 
cavity  will  nearly  always  readily  yield  to 
the  treatment  already  advised. 

When  blisters  form  on  the  inside  of  the 
flap,  they  should  be  opened  from  the  lowest 
portion  with  a  sharp  knife  and  thoroughly 
cleansed  with  warm  castile  soap  suds,  us- 


1 1 6  Nursing  vs.  Dosing. 

Ing  a  syringe  and  then  washing  with  the 
mixture  prescribed  for  internal  canker. 

The  edge  of  the  flap  is  sometimes  affect- 
ed with  a  dry,  scaly  substance,  and  if  not 
properly  attended  to  raw  places  will  appear 
and  often  the  edge  will  crack,  causing 
great  discomfort  to  the  animal.  If  this 
is  properly  treated  in  season,  a  cure  can 
be  easily  effected  by  simply  thoroughly 
cleansing  the  affected  part  and  washing 
with  strong  alum  water,  then  gently  rub- 
bing on  a  little  lard  or  any  simple  salve. 
If  the  trouble,  however,  has  become  too 
deeply  seated  to  yield  readily  to  this  treat- 
ment, paint  the  affected  portion  very  light- 
ly with  tincture  of  iodine,  repeating  this 
occasionally,  as  the  case  seems  to  require. 
In  severe  cases  it  will  be  necessary  to 
make  a  cap,  something  in  shape  like  a 
nightcap,  and  tie  on  over  the  ears,  to  pre- 
vent the  whipping  of  their  edges  when  he 
shakes  his  head. 

Dogs  in  health  that  are  properly  cared 


Common  Ailments.  117 

for — as  I  have  before  stated — rarely  con- 
tract this  disease;  but  it  often  occurs  as  a 
sequence  of  other  disorders,  notably  dis- 
temper. I  have  given  considerable  space 
to  it,  as,  notwithstanding  the  best  of  care, 
your  dog  may  be  afflicted  with  it. 

Many  dogs  become  partially  deaf,  and 
some  wholly  so,  from  the  effects  of  this  dis- 
ease. They  might  have  been  saved  from 
the  misfortune  had  the  trouble  been  attend- 
ed to  at  the  proper  time.  Many  of  the  un- 
fortunate ones,  however,  are  thus  afflicted 
solely  from  the  effects  of  the  pernicious 
stuff  that  has  been  poured  Into  their  ears 
by  persons  entirely  ignorant  of  the  first 
principles  that  govern  the  intelligent  prac- 
tice of  the  heallnyf  art. 

Mangle* 

Mange  is  also  a  disease  that  in  olden 
times  was  usually  treated  with  harsh  appli- 
cations. Nearly  all  of  the  old  writers  upon 
the   subject   advise   the   use  of   mercurial 


1 1 8  JVursino"  vs.  Dosino; 

preparations,  as  well  as  other  dangerous 
substances,  efficacious,  it  is  true,  in  destroy- 
ing the  parasite,  but  highly  dangerous  to 
the  health  of  the  dog  ;  as,  from  the  nature 
of  the  trouble,  the  remedies  must  be  ap- 
plied to  the  surface  of  the  skin  that  is 
abraded  by  the  action  of  the  mite,  and  the 
efforts  of  the  dos:  to  relieve  the  irritation 
by  scratching  further  injures  the  skin,  and 
poisoning  from  the  absorption  of  a  portion 
of  the  substance  used  is  sure  to  result — not 
always,  however,  in  quantity  sufficient  to 
cause  very  serious  injury.  Still  the  irritat- 
ing or  corrosive  action  is  sure  to  cause 
trouble  proportionate  to  the  amount  ab- 
sorbed. 

The  presence  of  mange  is  due  to  a  very 
small  parasite  that  burrows  in  the  skin, 
and  when  properly  attended  to  in  its  early 
stage  it  is  easily  eradicated ;  but,  when  the 
trouble  is  of  long  standing,  and  the  skin 
has  become  thickened,  it  is  often  a  very 
serious  matter  to  get  rid  of  the  parasite. 


Commoji  Ailments.  119 

owing  to  the  fact  that  It  is  bedded  so  deeply 
in  the  thickened  skin  that  remedies  that 
are  absolutely  safe  to  use  will  not  readily 
penetrate  deep  enough  to  reach  the  in- 
truder. 

Some  writers  claim  that  under  certain 
conditions  mange  will  be  produced  spon- 
taneously ;  this,  however,  is  as  preposterous 
as  it  Is  erroneous,  and  will  so  remain  until 
the  laws  that  govern  the  reproduction  of 
life  shall  be  radically  changed.  That  a 
filthy  or  enfeebled  animal  is  more  likely 
to  contract  contagion,  when  exposed  to  it, 
than  would  be  the  case  were  he  cleanly 
and  in  perfect  health,  I  will  readily  grant ; 
but  whether  he  be  filthy  or  cleanly,  sick  or 
well,  he  cannot  have  mange  until  the  living 
or  embryo  acarus  is  by  some  means  placed 
upon  his  body.  Just  how  the  trouble  is 
communicated  may  not  always  be  clear,  but, 
as  it  is  well  known  that  a  dog  can  become 
infected  by  contact  with  one  that  is  suffer- 
ing from   the   trouble,  or  by  occupying  a 


I20  Ntcrsing  vs.  Dosing, 

kennel  that  has  been  used  by  him,  there 
may  be  many  other  sources  of  contagion 
that  escape  our  notice.  How  long  the 
parasite  will  retain  vitality  when  left  upon 
the  bedding  or  walls  of  the  kennel  I  do  not 
know,  but  I  have  no  doubt  that  it  will  thus 
live  for  many  days  and  perhaps  weeks ;  and 
it  is  therefore  of  the  utmost  importance 
that  kennel,  bedding,  collars  and  chains, 
as  well  as  the  ground  or  floor  around  the 
kennel  of  a  dog  that  has  had  mange,  should 
be  thoroughly  disinfected.  For  this  pur- 
pose carbolic  acid  and  naphtha  are  reli- 
able and  should  be  freely  used,  taking  care 
to  well  saturate  every  portion  of  the  kennel 
and  its  surroundings,  as  well  as  the  collar 
and  chain. 

In  treating  a  dog  that  is  afiflicted  with 
mange,  it  is  all-important  that  he  be  taken 
in  hand  before  the  parasite  has  become  es- 
tablished, as,  in  its  early  stage,  this  trouble 
readily  yields  to  proper  treatment.  As  be- 
fore advised,  your  dog  should  be  carefully 


Common  Ailments.  121 

examined  at  least  once  a  week  by  passing 
the  hand  over  every  portion  of  his  body, 
when  you  will  be  able  to  detect  anything 
that  is  wrong  by  the  roughened  or  pimply 
feeling  of  the  skin,  should  he  be  affected. 
When  you  discover  anything  upon  the  sur- 
face of  the  skin  that  leads  you  to  suspect 
the  presence  of  mange,  you  should  at  once 
apply  the  balsam  of  Peru,  lard  and  sulphur 
ointment,  as  advised  for  eczema,  and,  in 
most  cases,  your  dog  will  soon  be  free  of 
the  trouble.  In  cases  of  long  standing  the 
same  course  of  treatment  should  be  pur- 
sued, but  first  the  animal  should  be  thor- 
oughly washed  with  warm  water  and  plenty 
of  castile  soap,  to  soften  the  crusts  or  scabs 
and  remove  the  dirt,  in  order  that  the  rem- 
edy may  have  a  chance  to  penetrate  as  far 
as  possible  into  the  hiding  place  of  the 
parasite.  Dry  the  hair  thoroughly.  If, 
however,  there  is  no  decided  improvement 
at  the  expiration  of  a  week,  other  agents 
should  be  employed. 


122  Nursing  vs.  Dosing. 

Sulphurous  acid  (not  sulphuric)  will 
often  destroy  the  pests  when  other  meas- 
ures appear  to  have  no  effect.  It  should 
be  diluted  with  six  times  its  bulk  of  water 
and  freely  applied,  allowing  it  to  remain 
without  washing  until  it  is  time  for  the 
next  application,  which  will  be  from  twelve 
to  twenty-four  hours,  according  to  the 
severity  of  the  case. 

Many  persons  use  carbolic  acid  for  this 
purpose  with  good  result,  so  far  as  destroy- 
ing the  parasite  is  concerned ;  but  I  dislike 
to  use  it  upon  the  dog  for  any  purpose, 
unless  other  agents  prove  to  be  ineffectual, 
as  it  is  an  irritant  of  the  nerves  and  there 
is  danorer  that  harm  will  result  from  its  ab- 
sorption  into  the  system.  If,  however,  it 
appears  to  be  advisable  to  employ  this 
agent,  three  drams  to  one  quart  of  water 
will  be  about  the  proper  strength  to  use. 
After  thoroughly  bathing  the  affected  parts 
with  the  solution,  it  should  be  allowed  to 
remain  not  more  than  two  or  three  minutes, 


Common  Ailments.  123 

when  it  should  be  washed  off  with  strong 
soap  suds. 

When  treating  mange,  it  must  be  borne 
in  mind  that  the  parasite  burrows  beneath 
the  outer  surface  of  the  skin,  and  obtains 
its  food  and  deposits  its  eggs  in  the  soft 
tissues  that  constitute  the  inner  portion  of 
the  skin.  It  is  therefore  often  the  case 
that  outside  apphcations  are  unreHable, 
owing  to  the  fact  that  the  ointment  or  wash 
does  not  come  into  actual  contact  with  its 
intended  victim ;  and  it  often  occurs,  in 
cases  that  are  to  all  appearances  completely 
cured,  that  one  or  more  of  the  parasites 
has  not  been  exterminated,  and  in  a  few 
days,  or  perhaps  weeks,  the  trouble  again 
appears. 

It  is  therefore  of  the  greatest  impor- 
tance, when  combating  this  trouble,  that  we 
should  not  trust  too  much  to  appearances, 
but  persevere  with  unwearied  patience  in 
our  course  of  treatment  until  the  result  is 
beyond  doubt. 


124  Nursing  vs.  Dosing. 

The  Nervous  System. 

Diseases  of  the  nervous  system  are  not 
yet  clearly  understood,  even  by  the  shining 
lights  of  the  medical  profession,  and  conse- 
quently the  best  informed  are  often  at 
fault  when  diagnosingr  the  case  of  a  human 
patient.  How  much  greater  then  Is  the 
difficulty  when  we  attempt  to  alleviate  the 
sufferings  of  a  dumb  animal  afflicted  with 
any  nervous  affection.  In  many  cases  we 
can  only  follow  the  customary  practice  by 
guessing  at  the  cause  and  experimenting 
with  remedies  until  the  patient  is  be)'ond 
hope,  or  we  chance  to  hit  upon  the  proper 
one,  or  nature  works  a  cure. 

While  the  immediate  cause  of  many  nerv- 
ous affections  may  be  apparent,  it  is  often 
the  case  that  there  Is  no  clew  whatever  to 
the  cause,  nor  a  single  guide  that  will  assist 
us  in  determlnlno-  the  seat  of  the  trouble. 
This  is  sometimes  the  case  In  attacks  of 
paralysis,  and  then  the  task  of  diagnosing 
the  trouble  is  difficult. 


Common  Ailments.  125 

The  causes  that  produce  paralysis  are 
many  and  varied,  and  the  removal  of  the 
cause  will  generally  effect  a  cure.  In  cases 
of  severe  injury  to  the  organs  affected, 
however,  recovery  is  often  doubtful,  and  in 
some  cases  the  result  is  death  or  perma- 
nent disability.  Healthy,  vigorous  animals 
are  seldom  afflicted  with  paralysis,  unless 
it  arises  from  injury,  and,  except  the  injury 
be  serious,  they  have  vitality  sufficient  to 
speedily  throw  off  the  trouble  ;  but  when 
the  frame  is  enfeebled  by  disease  or  lack 
of  proper  food  and  care,  even  apparently 
slight  attacks  are  often  disastrous  in  result. 

Puppies,  when  teething,  are  often  sub- 
ject to  partial  or  complete  paralysis  of  the 
hinder  parts,  especially  if  they  are  not  in  a 
healthy  condition.  A  tendency  to  these 
attacks  is  induced  by  their  feverish  state, 
and  often  by  the  presence  of  inflammation  in 
the  tissues  that  are  adjacent  to  the  nerves 
or  spinal  cord. 

As  a  sequence  to  distemper,  an  attack  of 


126  Nursing  vs.   Dosing. 

paralysis  is  a  dangerous  complication,  as  it 
IS  usually  an  indication  of  serious  affection 
of  the  spinal  cord,  and  when  the  attack  is 
a  severe  one  complete  recovery  is  extreme- 
ly doubtful. 

Constipation  and  worms  are  frequently 
the  causes  of  paralysis.  It  will  at  once  dis- 
appear upon  their  removal.  Disease  of  the 
brain  or  spinal  cord,  or  blov/s  upon  or  near 
the  spine,  will  produce  it. 

In  the  treatment  of  paralysis  bear  in 
mind  that  it  is  not  a  disease,  but  a  symp- 
tom of  disease,  which  is  possibly  located  at 
some  distance  from  its  apparent  seat,  and 
consequently  local  applications  of  embroca- 
tions, liniments,  etc.,  in  many  cases  cannot 
possibly  be  of  benefit.  Gentle  friction 
with  the  hand,  always  taking  care  to  rub 
with  the  hair,  will  be  of  benefit  in  long- 
continued  trouble,  by  assisting  the  circula- 
tion and  preventing  the  wasting  away  of 
the  limbs. 

In  its  milder  forms  the  trouble  usually 


Comjnon  Ailments.  127 

yields  readily  to  treatment  which  consists 
of  removing  the  cause. 

The  patient  should  have  plenty  of  nu- 
tritious and  easily  digested  food,  careful 
nursing,  plenty  of  pure  air;  and  exercise  if 
able  to  walk,  but  if  unable  to  do  so,  the 
muscles  of  the  limb  should  be  exercised 
two  or  three  times  daily  by  taking  hold  of 
and  working  the  limb  in  the  same  manner 
that  it  would  move  when  walking. 

If  the  animal  is  in  any  way  reduced,  a 
tablespoonful  of  cod  liver  oil  may  be  given 
with  his  food  two  or  three  times  a  day. 
The  same  treatment  is  advised  in  severe 
cases,  paying  particular  attention  to  build- 
ing up  and  strengthening  the  system,  and 
improving  the  general  health  ;  as  nature,  if 
assisted  by  nutritious  food  and  good  nurs- 
ing, will  do  more  for  the  patient  than  the 
most  potent  drug. 

If  the  trouble  does  not  yield  to  the  treat- 
ment, and  more  powerful  remedies  there- 
fore  seem   to   be   necessary,  strychnine  or 


128  Nursing  vs.   Dosing. 

arsenic  may  be  given,  but  always  under  the 
eye  of  an  experienced  veterinarian  or  phy- 
sician. In  treating  with  these  powerful 
drugs  it  is  all-important  that  they  should 
be  administered  by  some  one  who  is  well 
acquainted  with  the  effect  produced  by 
them,  in  order  to  accurately  determine  just 
the  proper  quantity  to  administer. 

Chorea  is  an  affection  of  the  nerves.  It 
is  not  well  understood,  and  in  long-estab- 
lished cases  it  is  very  rarely  cured.  It  is 
characterized  by  an  irregular  twitching  or 
spasmodic  contraction  of  the  muscles,  usu- 
ally of  one  limb,  or  of  the  neck  or  under 
jaw\  In  very  young  dogs,  especially  if 
they  are  constitutionally  strong  and  vigor- 
ous, all  indications  of  the  trouble  wall  usu- 
ally disappear  with  the  return  of  health. 
It  is  obvious,  therefore,  from  the  course  and 
characteristics  of  the  disease,  that  the  treat- 
ment should  be  exclusively  confined  to  the 
improvement  of  the  bodily  health  by  the 
use  of  nutritious  and  easily  digested  food. 


Common  Ailments.  129 

and  watchful  care  to  see  that  the  patient  Is 
not  exposed  to  sudden  changes,  or  to  any- 
thing of  a  nature  to  irritate  the  nerves. 
Careful  nursing  is  required,  and,  above  all, 
he  should  have  plenty  of  fresh  air  and  all 
the  exercise  that  he  can  bear  without  fa- 

tio^ue. 

Nearly  all  writers  upon  the  subject  ad- 
mit that  in  many  cases  the  disease  is  in- 
tractable, yet  many  of  them  confidently 
advise  the  use  of  powerful  remedies  ;  while 
some  of  them,  with  an  assurance  not  war- 
ranted by  their  previous  admission,  insist 
that  these  powerful  agents  will  accomplish 

a  cure. 

Experience  has  taught  me  that  all  such 
medicine  is  harmful  in  most  cases  of  this 
nature,  when  administered  by  the  layman. 
While  it  is  true  that  powerful  tonics  may 
be  of  benefit  in  isolated  cases,  may  it  not 
be  equally  true  that  milder  medicine  of 
the  same  nature  would  do  its  work  much 
more  effectively?      In  this  disease  every- 


130  Niirsing  vs.  Dosing. 

thing,  of  whatsoever  nature — whether  it 
be  medicine,  food,  treatment  or  surround- 
incrs — that  tends  to  irritation  of  the  nerves 
of  the  patient  is  certainly  harmful,  and  un- 
der all  circumstances  should  be  carefully 
avoided. 

Men  or  animals  which  are  constitution- 
ally strong  and  vigorous  will  occasionally 
survive  and  fully  recover,  in  spite  of  an  ig- 
norant quack,  improper  medicine  or  per- 
nicious treatment ;  and  then,  forsooth,  they 
are  set  up  as  living  monuments,  attesting 
the  skill  of  the  one  and  the  efficacy  of  the 
others. 

In  estimating  the  value  of  any  remedy, 
it  is  utterly  impossible  to  arrive  at  any  sat- 
isfactory conclusion  without  exhaustive  ex- 
periment, and  no  physician  of  experience 
will  indorse  or  condemn  a  new  remedy  or 
combination  without  a  full  test  of  its  merits. 
It  is  often  the  case  in  canine  practice  that 
well-known  and  tried  remedies,  especially 
if  they  are  powerful  or  quick  to  act,  will 


Common  Ailments.  131 

have  no  apparent  effect  upon  some  dogs, 
while  upon  others  action  Is  feeble  or  de- 
layed much  longer  than  It  should  be,  gen- 
erally for  the  reason  that  they  have  eaten 
something  that  counteracts  the  virtue  of  the 
medicine  given. 

Occasionally  a  dog  will  be  found  upon 
which  a  certain  drug  or  mineral  will  alv/ays 
fall  to  have  any  appreciable  effect,  no  mat- 
ter what  may  be  the  condition  of  his 
stomach.  On  the  other  hand,  It  Is  often 
the  case  that  an  ordinary  dose,  such  as  any 
veterinarian  would  usually  prescribe,  will 
prove  to  be  much  more  than  Is  necessary 
to  produce  the  desired  result,  and  In  some 
cases  danger  may  arise  from  this  cause. 
For  this  reason,  If  no  other  existed,  It  will 
be  readily  understood  that  It  Is  absolutely 
necessary  that  all  powerful  medicine  should 
be  administered  only  by  those  who  are 
qualified  not  only  to  correctly  diagnose  a 
case  and  prescribe  the  proper  medicine,  but 
to  determine  from  the  effect  produced  what 


132  Nursing  vs.  Dosing. 

change,  if  any,  is  needed.  As  my  friend 
Dr.  Perry  (Ashmont)  well  says  in  his  in- 
valuable work  upon  the  diseases  of  dogs : 
**  Remedies  of  the  greatest  efficacy  and  vir- 
tue become  exceedingly  dangerous  in  the 
hands  of  the  careless  and  incompetent." 

When  in  doubt  as  to  the  propriety  of 
administering  even  the  simplest  and  most 
harmless  medicine  to  your  dog,  always 
give  the  poor  animal  the  benefit  of  the 
doubt  and  refrain  from  giving  it. 

As  I  have  before  said,  dogs  that  are 
healthy  and  vigorous  escape  many  of  the 
ailments  incident  to  dog  life ;  in  fact,  dogs 
in  such  condition,  if  properly  cared  for, 
very  rarely,  if  ever,  contract  spontaneous 
or  non-contacrious  diseases.  Contagion  and 
accident  the  dog  may  not  escape,  but  when 
they  do  overtake  him  his  condition  enables 
him  nearly  always  to  speedily  recover  from 
the  attack. 

All  works  upon  the  general  diseases  of 
the  dog  devote  a  large  amount  of  space 


Coininon  Ailments.  133 

to  rabies.  For  the  greater  part,  until 
quite  recently,  such  space  has  been  filled 
with  the  hallucinations  and  cruesswork  of 
writers  of  the  past  centuries.  This  long- 
continued  repetition  of  erroneous  state- 
ments and  illogical  deductions  is  probably 
owing  to  one  or  both  of  two  causes :  either 
the  writers  did  not  possess  the  necessary 
courage  to  break  away  from  the  old  tradi- 
tions, or  they  had  not  sufficient  experience, 
with  the  disease  and  the  consequent  knowl- 
edge to  enable  them  to  pursue  an  inde- 
pendent course. 

In  this  country  the  disease  is  in  my 
opinion  extremely  rare,  even  when  we  add 
to  the  list  many  so-called  cases  in  w^hich,  to 
say  the  least,  the  proof  of  its  existence  is 
very  doubtful.  That  there  is,  however,  an 
occasional  case  I  am  not  disposed  to  deny; 
but  that  it  has  ever  been  prevalent  here  to 
any  great  extent  I  do  not  believe. 

Within  the  past  thirty  years  I  have  con- 
versed upon  this  subject  with  scores  of  our 


134  Nursing  vs.  Dosuig. 

best-known  physicians  and  surgeons,  and  so 
far  I  have  been  unable  to  find  a  single  one 
who  had  ever  seen  a  case  of  rabies  or 
hydrophobia.  So-called  cases  were,  how- 
ever, frequently  met  with,  but  in  no  one  of 
them  would  the  attending  physician  say 
that  reasonable  doubts  did  not  exist  as  to 
its  beine  a  genuine  case.  Indeed,  I  have 
heard  some  of  our  best-known  physicians 
testify  under  oath  that  their  only  knowl- 
edge of  the  disease  was  gained  from  their 
books,  while  some  of  them  went  further 
and  solemnly  declared  that  they  did  not 
believe  that  there  was  such  a  disease. 

I  have  been  called  upon  many  times  in 
cases  that  were  pronounced  to  be  rabies  by 
the  owner,  but  in  every  instance  I  have 
been  able  to  conclusively  show  that  the 
disease  was  not  present,  and  up  to  this 
time  I  have  never  seen  a  genuine  case.  So 
very  rare  is  this  dread  disease  that  I  never 
expect  to  witness  its  horrors. 

There  are  so  many  diseases  among  dogs 


Common  Ailments.  135 

In  which  some  one  or  more  of  the  symp- 
toms said  to  be  present  in  rabies  are  often 
seen  that  I  beheve  it  Is  impossible  for  any 
one,  even  were  rabies  present,  to  distin- 
guish by  the  symptoms  this  disease  from 
other  diseases. 

Nearly  forty  years  ago  I  was  the  proud 
owner  of  a  young  pointer  bitch  that  I 
thought  was  very  near  perfection,  and  I 
loved  her  with  my  whole  heart.  One  day, 
while  at  the  village  store,  we  were  startled 
by  the  cry  of  '*mad  dog."  As  we  went  to 
the  door,  my  little  brother  came  running  up, 
and  with  many  tears  and  sobs  told  me  that 
Gipsy  had  run  mad  and  been  chased  under 
a  barn  that  was  some  quarter  of  a  mile 
from  the  house.  I  was  soon  on  the  spot. 
I  found  an  excited  crowd  watching  one  of 
their  number,  who  was  on  his  hands  and 
knees,  trying  to  see  the  dog  in  order  that 
he  might  shoot  her.  Pulling  him  away 
from  the  aperture,  I  crawled  in,  and  could 
see  by  the  light  from  her  eyes  that  she  had 


136  Niirsing  vs.  Dosing, 

gone  to  the  furthest  corner.  I  crawled  to 
her,  and  at  once  saw  that  she  was  suffering 
from  a  severe  attack  of  epilepsy.  When 
near  enough,  I  spoke  to  her  and  attempted 
to  put  my  hand  on  her  head ;  but  she 
cauoht  mv  hand  in  her  mouth  and  set  her 
teeth  nearly  through,  but  at  once  let  go 
and  stiffened  out,  with  only  a  slight  convul- 
sive movement.  I  then  took  her  by  the 
collar  and  backed  out  from  under  the  barn. 
I  was  loudly  commanded  by  everyone  to 
"Come  away  and  let  him  shoot  her!"  but  I 
got  upon  my  feet,  and,  taking  her  in  my 
arms,  told  them  that  if  they  shot  her  they 
would  have  to  shoot  me,  as  I  was  going  to 
carry  her  home.  The  crowd  was  deter- 
mined and  threatened  to  take  her  from  me ; 
but  as  she  had  come  partially  out  of  her 
stupor,  and  was  snapping  her  jaws  together 
and  struggling,  I  answered  them  that  the 
first  one  who  put  hands  on  me  would  get 
bitten,  and  they  made  way.  I  soon  had  her 
at  home,  where  I  bathed  her  head  freely  with 


Common  Ailments,  137 

cold  water,  and  In  less  than  half  an  hour 
she  was  as  briofht  and  well  as  ever.  Until 
old  age  finally  dimmed  her  bright  eye,  she 
had  no  more  attacks  of  rabies.  Although 
I  have  gone  mad  whenever  I  have  seen 
valuable  animals  sacrificed  to  the  blind  ig- 
norance of  their  owners,  I  still  live. 

A  veterinarian  of  national  reputation, 
with  whom  I  had  repeatedly  argued  the 
question,  once  invited  me  to  visit  a  dog 
suffering  from  rabies  that  he  pronounced 
to  be  genuine,  unmistakably.  Arriving  at 
the  place,  we  found  the  dog  confined  with  a 
heavy  chain  In  a  strong  room  In  a  barn, 
the  door  securely  fastened  and  the  window 
strongly  guarded  with  slats  nailed  across. 
Lookine  througfh  between  the  slats,  the 
poor  animal  was  seen  to  be  in  terrible  dis- 
tress, and  his  cries  of  pain  were  heart-rend- 
ing. Upon  Inquiry  I  learned  that  for  near- 
ly three  days  he  had  been  in  this  state, 
with  scarcely  any  cessation  of  his  pitiful 
cries.      In  his  paroxysms  of  pain  the  poor 


138  Ntirsiiig  vs.   Dosing. 

creature  had  bitten  at  the  chain  and  sur- 
rouncHnof  woodwork  until  his  mouth  was 
terribly  lacerated,  and  he  was  a  most  grew- 
some  sitrht.  After  watchini^  him  a  short 
time,  I  saw  by  the  deeply  sunken  eyes  and 
the  partial  paralysis  of  the  hinder  parts 
that  the  end  was  near,  and  at  once  told  my 
companion  that  the  case  w^as  clearly  one  of 
severe  inflammation  of  the  bowels,  or  peri- 
toneum, and  that  death  would  very  soon 
take  place ;  but  he  refused  to  believe  any- 
thinor  of  the  kind,  and  assured  me  that  the 
disease  would  develop  in  a  day  or  two  so 
unmistakably  that  even  I  would  be  con- 
vinced. That  evening  I  learned  of  the 
death  of  the  dog,  and  that  my  friend  had 
made  an  examination  of  the  body.  The 
next  day  he  came  to  me  and  honestly  con- 
fessed that  he  had  never  seen  a  case  of 
rabies,  and  that  he  more  than  half  believed 
that  no  such  disease  existed. 

I   could  repeat   many  similar   Instances, 
but  have  perhaps  said  enough  to  at  least 


Comjnon  Ailments.  139 

put  the  reader  upon  his  guard,  so  that  he 
may  not  make  the  mistake  of  murdering 
his  pet  when  he  might  be  saved.  I  shall 
only  advise  in  this  matter  that,  when  your 
dog  has  been  bitten  by  a  supposed  rabid 
animal,  or  you  think  that  he  shows  unmis- 
takable symptoms  of  the  dread  disease, 
you  should  shut  him  up  in  a  perfectly  se- 
cure place,  consult  a  competent  veterina- 
rian and  carefully  watch  events,  taking  as 
many  precautions  as  you  think  necessary  to 
prevent  infection.  Above  all  else,  carefully 
watch  his  symptoms,  and  minister  to  his 
wants  and  ailments,  as  you  would  do  had 
you  never  heard  of  rabies  or  hydrophobia. 

Abscesses. 

Many  dogs  are  afflicted  with  abscesses, 
which  make  their  appearance  upon  the 
throat,  and,  rarely,  upon  other  portions  of 
the  body.  They  are  invariably  caused  by 
inflammation,  which  may  be  the  result  of  a 
sudden  cold,  blows  or  wounds.      It  is  one 


140  Nursing  vs.   Dosing. 

of  the  old  teachino^s  that  this  trouble  is 
usually  the  result  of  an  Impure  state  of  the 
blood  or  weakened  condition  of  the  bodily 
health.  That  these  conditions  have  even 
a  predisposing  inlluence  toward  the  forma- 
tion of  an  abscess  I  do  not  believe ;  that 
they  do,  however,  indirectly  have  much  in- 
fluence for  evil  In  the  case  Is  beyond  doubt. 
It  Is  undoubtedly  true,  in  very  many  in- 
stances, when  the  animal  is  out  of  condi- 
tion, that  slight  disturbances  eventuate  in 
the  formation  of  an  abscess,  when,  were 
the  doo-  In  vl^^orous  health,  the  InOamma- 
tion  would  subside  naturally  or  the  Incip- 
ient formation  become  absorbed.  Were 
this  old  teaching  grounded  in  truth,  then 
would  feeble  old  ao^e  become  hideous  in- 
deed  in  its  weakness ;  but  dogs  of  riper 
years,  in  spite  of  impure  blood  and  en- 
feebled frame,  are  nearly  exempt  from  this 
trouble.  Their  thews  and  sinews,  case- 
hardened  by  the  hand  of  time,  bid  defiance 
to  disturbances  that  would,  in  more  tender 


Continon  Ailments,  141 

tissues,  work  serious  harm.     Often  greater 
constitutional  vigor  comes  with  maturity. 

When  an  abscess,  one  not  the  result  of  a 
wound,  appears,  it  may  be  cured  in  its  first 
stages  by  painting  it  lightly  with  tincture 
of  iodine,  two  or  three  times,  at  intervals  of 
three  or  four  hours.  If  it  does  not  yield  to 
this  treatment  readily,  it  should  be  poul- 
ticed with  flaxseed  meal  mixed  with  warm 
water,  and  applied  to  it,  renewing  the  poul- 
tice when  it  becomes  nearly  dry.  Continue 
this  treatment  until  you  can  readily  detect 
a  soft  spot,  which  may  be  discovered  by 
slight  pressure  of  the  finger,  usually  at  or 
near  the  most  prominent  part  of  the  swell- 
ing. When  this  place  is  considerably  softer 
than  the  surrounding  parts,  it  should  be 
opened  with  a  sharp  knife,  using  great  cau- 
tion that  you  do  not  cut  too  deep.  Do  not 
be  afraid  of  making  the  opening  too  large, 
as  it  is  important  that  the  fluid  formed 
should  all  be  expelled.  Do  not,  in  any 
case,  squeeze  or  press  the  swelling  in  order 


142  Nicrsiiig  vs.   Dosing; 

to  obtain  a  free  discharge,  as  the  conse- 
quent irritation  will  work  harm  instead  of 
good.  Always  open  it  downward  to  the 
very  lowest  or  pendent  portion  of  the  swell- 
ing-, in  order  that  you  may  not  leave  a  sac 
or  pocket  to  retain  a  portion  of  the  fluid, 
and  thereby  retard  recovery. 

In  ordinary  cases  this  treatment  will  be 
all  that  is  necessary.  Complete  recovery 
will  take  place  in  a  few  days.  In  obstinate 
cases,  where  the  cause  of  the  trouble  is 
deeply  seated,  it  may  be  necessary  to  keep 
the  incision  open  for  a  day  or  two  by  the 
insertion  of  a  small  fragment  of  soft 
sponge,  wdiich  should  first  be  dipped  in 
boiling  water  to  cleanse  it.  Or  perhaps  it 
may  be  necessary  to  syringe  out  the  open- 
ing. If  this  is  done,  use  a  small  glass  syr- 
inge filled  with  blood-warm  castile  soap 
suds,  to  which  has  been  added  two  or  three 
drops  of  tincture  of  myrrh.  Be  very  gen- 
tle in  using  the  syringe,  and  at  all  times 
keep  the  swelling  and  adjacent  parts  clean 


Com^non  Ailments.  143 

and  dry.  Use  a  soft  sponge  and  warm 
water  to  cleanse  the  abscess,  and  dry  with 
a  soft  cloth.  Upon  the  first  appearance  of 
the  trouble  your  dog  should  be  fed  upon 
simple,  nourishing  food. 

Epsom  salts,  in  level  teaspoonful  doses, 
may  be  given  three  times  a  day  for  two  or 
three  days,  taking  care  that  the  patient  is 
not  exposed  to  wet  or  to  sudden  changes 
of  heat  or  cold,  and  that  he  does  not  become 
heated  by  exercise.  Indeed,  it  is  best  to 
keep  him  as  quiet  as  possible  until  consid- 
erable improvement  is  manifest. 

I  have  given  this  subject  more  space 
perhaps  than  is  warranted  by  its  impor- 
tance, as  this  trouble  is  very  rarely  a  serious 
one  ;  but  to  the  beginner  it  is  nearly  always 
the  cause  of  much  unnecessary  solicitude. 
This  is  also  the  case  with  many  of  the  ail- 
ments to  which  dogs  are  subject.  When 
the  owner  is  inexperienced,  much  useless 
worry  is  often  expended  over  his  pet,  and 
he  is  impelled,  by  his  anxiety,  to  administer 


144  Nursing  vs.  Dosing. 

to  It  medicine  that  it  does  not  need,  and 
that  often  converts  the  slight  and  transient 
indisposition  into  serious  illness. 

Colic, 

In  no  one  disease  perhaps  is  this  more 
noticeable  than  when  a  doof  is  attacked 
with  colic.  Usually  powerful  cathartics  are 
repeatedly  administered,  greatly  to  the  dis- 
comfort and  often  to  the  serious  harm  of 
the  patient.  Colic  may  be  a  disease  of  it- 
self, as  in  case  of  an  accumulation  of  gas  in 
the  intestines ;  or  it  may  be  a  symptom 
of  much  graver  trouble,  as  in  case  of  stop- 
page. In  neither  case  is  it  advisable  to 
give  a  powerful  cathartic,  as  in  most  cases 
its  action  will,  for  a  short  time  at  least,  add 
to  the  pain  by  increasing  the  pressure  at 
the  seat  of  the  trouble.  The  suddenness 
of  the  attack  and  the  appearance  of  distress, 
manifested  by  arched  back,  swelled  ab- 
domen and  cries  of  pain,  are  symptoms  of 
colic    that    arc    at   once   recognized.     71ie 


Common  Ailments,  145 

evident  distress  of  the  poor  animal  forcibly 
appeals  to  us  for  immediate  action.  We 
should  at  once  take  the  proper  measures  to 
relieve  him.  The  first  thing  to  do  is  to 
give  him  a  copious  injection  of  blood-warm 
soap  suds,  in  order  to  induce  action  of  the 
bowels ;  then  he  should  have  a  tablespoon- 
ful  of  sweet  oil  mixed  with  ten  to  twelve 
drops  of  laudanum. 

Prepare   a   dish   of  hot,  strong   mustard 
water,  dip   in   it   a  large   piece  of  flannel, 
and   then   wring   so   that   it  will   not  drip. 
Apply  it  to  the  seat  of  the  pain,  renewing 
the    hot    application    every    few    minutes. 
This  can  be  best  done  when  the  dog  is  ly- 
ing down  on  one  side  or  nearly  on  his  back, 
in  which  position  he  may  be  held  by  an  at- 
tendant.    Meantime  you  should,  when  you 
can  spare  a  moment  from  other  duties,  de- 
vote the  time  to  gently  and  rapidly  patting 
or  slapping  his  abdomen  with  the  hands, 
beginning  just  above  the  apparent  seat  of 
the  trouble,  and  quickly  working  backward 


146  Nursing  vs.  Dosiiig. 

to  the  rear,  alternating  this  treatment  with 
gentle  friction  or  rubbing ;  bearing  in  mind 
that  you  must  always  rub  from  front  to 
rear,  and  never  In  any  other  direction. 

It  is  a  good  plan  to  repeat  the  Injection 
of  warm  soap  suds  at  the  expiration  of  fif- 
teen or  twenty  minutes,  w^hether  the  first 
one  operated  or  not.  If  the  pain  does  not 
appear  to  subside,  the  laudanum  should 
again  be  given  in  a  teaspoonful  of  sweet 
oil.  If  Improvement  does  not  take  place 
within  a  short  time,  you  should  send  for  a 
veterinarian  or  your  family  physician,  as 
something  more  serious  than  an  ordinary 
attack  of  colic  may  be  the  cause  of  the 
trouble. 

Many  years  ago,  while  shooting  upon  the 
mountains  of  Pennsylvania,  the  dog  of  my 
companion  was  taken  with  a  severe  attack 
of  colic.  Laying  the  animal  down  upon 
the  ground  on  his  back,  he  requested  me 
to  hold  him  in  position,  while  he  began 
rapidly    but    lightly    to    slap   and   rub   the 


Common  Ailments.  147 

poor  animal's  abdomen.  He  continued  for 
some  fifteen  minutes,  when  the  sharp  cries 
of  pain  gradually  subsided,  the  tense  mus- 
cles relaxed,  and  at  the  end  of  an  hour  the 
dog  was  apparently  as  well  as  ever. 

Since  that  time,  in  cases  of  emergency, 
when  other  remedies  were  not  at  hand,  I 
have  successfully  practiced  this  method 
upon  myself  and  companions,  as  well  as 
my  dogs. 

Worms* 

Among  dogs  of  mature  years  there  is 
found  an  occasional  individual  that  is  af- 
flicted with  tape  worm.  It  is  not,  however, 
in  many  instances,  readily  determined  when 
this  parasite  is  present.  The  symptoms 
that  usually  denote  its  presence  are  also 
those  which  are  common  from  other  causes, 
and  the  only  positive  proof  that  your  dog 
is  affected  is  the  finding  of  detached  por- 
tions of  the  parasite  in  the  discharges. 
When,  however,  the  appetite  is  good,  but 
the  food  taken  does  not  appear  to  be  of 


148  Nursing  vs.  Dosing, 

benefit  In  improving  the  condition  of  your 
door,  and  there  is  no  known  ailment  to  ac- 
count  for  It,  there  Is  a  strong  probabiHty 
that  he  Is  suffering  from  tape  worm. 

There  are  many  agents  In  common  use 
for  expelHng  this  pest.  One  of  tlie  most 
effective,  and  as  safe  perhaps  as  any,  Is 
freshly  prepared  areca  nut.  Procure  from 
the  druggist  as  fresh  nuts  as  possible ; 
grate  them  fine,  but  do  not  pound  them  in 
a  mortar,  as  this  method  appears  to  destroy 
their  usefulness  In  a  great  measure.  The 
proper  dose  Is  one-half  grain  for  every  pound 
weight  of  the  dog.  Place  the  powder  on 
an  earthen  plate  or  piece  of  window  glass, 
and  with  a  case  knife  work  into  it  a  piece 
of  butter  or  lard  no  larger  than  a  small 
cranberry.  Make  Into  a  compact  ball,  and 
In  most  cases  the  dog  will  readily  swallow 
It.  Should  he  refuse  to  do  so,  open  his 
jaws  and  place  it  down  his  throat  as  far  as 
you  conveniently  can  ;  then  close  his  mouth 
and  hold  his  jaws  together  until  he  swal- 


Commoii  Ailments.  149 

lows  it.  Little  force  will  be  necessary  if  he 
is  held  between  the  knees  and  his  head 
held  well  up. 

Previous  to  administering  it  all  food 
should  be  withheld  for  twenty-four  hours. 
Two  hours  after  giving  it  he  should  have  a 
dose  consisting  of  two  tablespoonfuls  of 
sweet  oil  and  one  of  syrup  of  buckthorn 
mixed,  eivine  him  no  food  whatever  for  at 
least  an  hour  after  administering  the  oil. 
This  will  nearly  always  prove  effectual.  In 
case,  however,  that  it  does  not  accomplish 
the  purpose  at  the  expiration  of  two  weeks, 
you  may  administer,  to  a  fifty-pound  dog, 
twelve  drops  of  extract  of  male  fern  well 
beaten  up  in  a  tablespoonful  of  milk,  ob- 
serving the  same  precaution  as  to  the  giv- 
ing of  food  and  oil  as  before  noted. 

Areca  nut  does  not  kill  the  parasite,  but 
causes  it  to  loosen  the  hooks  or  suckers  by 
which  it  adheres  to  the  intestine,  while  the 
oil  of  fern  kills  it  outright.  I  have  never 
seen  serious  results  from  the  proper  use  of 


150  Nu7'sing  vs.  Dosing, 

either  remedy ;  but,  so  far  as  my  observa- 
tion goes,  the  disturbance  from  areca  nut 
is  less  than  is  the  case  with  the  extract  of 
fern.  That  death  has  been  caused  by  the 
improper  use  of  both  of  these  remedies  is 
no  argument  in  their  disfavor,  when  they 
are  properly  administered. 

A  gentleman  once  told  me  that  oil  of 
fern  was  a  very  dangerous  poison,  and  to 
prove  the  statement  he  said  that  he  had 
given  a  tablespoonful  to  his  puppy,  and 
when  he  next  saw  him,  at  the  end  of  an 
hour,  he  was  dead.  As  this  was  apparent- 
ly a  very  natural  result,  I  did  not  gainsay 
it.  I  have  also  heard  of  other  cases  where 
the  owner  was  equally  unpardonably  igno- 
rant, and,  it  is  hardly  necessary  to  add,  the 
result  was  the  same. 

I  once  prescribed  by  letter  for  a  three- 
months-old  n:iastiff  that  was  troubled  with 
worms ;  and,  as  he  would  not  touch  sour 
milk,  I  advised  twenty  grains  of  areca  nut 
made  into  a  bolus  with  lard.      The  owner 


Common  Ailments.  151 

wrote  me  that  he  gave  this  as  directed,  but 
the  puppy  at  once  vomited  it  up,  when  he 
gave  him  the  same  amount  of  the  dry  pow- 
der by  pouring  it  down  his  throat,  upon 
which  the  Httle  fellow  gave  a  gasp  or  two 
and  died.  It  is  perhaps  needless  to  add 
that  he  blamed  the  remedy  for  the  result, 
instead  of  his  own  stupid  ignorance. 

The  moral  to  be  deduced  from  these 
Illustrations  is  obvious,  and  should  teach 
the  one  who  has  charge  of  the  patient 
to  implicitly  follow  the  directions,  which 
should  accompany  every  prescription,  to  the 
very  letter,  thus  escaping  the  feeling  of 
poignant  regret  that  must  ensue  when  one 
realizes  that,  through  ignorance  or  careless- 
ness he  has  caused  the  death  or  ruined  the 
health  of  a  loved  companion. 

Sour  milk  is  an  excellent  diet  for  does 
afflicted  with  worms.  When  the  puppies 
will  eat  it  readily,  they  should  be  given  a 
full  meal  of  it  two  or  three  times  a  week, 
and  very  few  of  them  will  be  troubled  with 


152  Nursing  vs.   Dosing. 

worms.  Should,  however,  the  worms  ob- 
tain a  foothold  in  numbers,  do  not  feed  the 
animal  at  night.  On  the  morning  follow- 
ing place  before  him  a  panful  of  the  thick, 
loppered  milk — if  it  is  a  trifle  old  and  stale 
all  the  better — and  he  will  soon  be  rid  of 
the  pests. 

The  above  refers  to  the  common  round 
worm  (^Ascar/s  viarginatd),  the  most  trou- 
blesome of  the  family  to  puppies.  In  some 
cases  the  mawworm,  which  infests  the  large 
intestines,  may  be  present,  but  the  same 
course  of  treatment  will  effectually  dislodge 
it.  Puppies  that  are  cleanly  kept  and 
properly  cared  for  will  seldom  be  seriously 
troubled  with  worms.  Should  they  become 
afflicted  with  them,  the  treatment  here  ad- 
vised will  carry  them  through  all  right. 

The  symptoms  that  indicate  the  pres- 
ence of  worms  are  many  and  varied. 
Among  the  more  prominent  are  a  hot  and 
dry  nose,  unusual  appetite,  bloating  of  the 
abdomen,  dry  and  staring  coat,  an  offensive 


Common  Ailments.  i53 

breath  and  a  dry,  hacking,  persistent 
cough.  Any  of  these  symptoms  may  be 
due  to  other  causes,  and  it  often  requires 
good  judgment  and  experience  to  deter- 
mine with  accuracy  the  true  cause  of  the 
trouble.  Convulsions,  paralysis  and  nerv- 
ous affections  frequently  result  from  a  se- 
vere attack  of  worms.  The  former  two 
will  disappear  upon  the  removal  of  the 
cause,  but  the  latter  will  sometimes  remain 
for  a  long  time,  and  are  hard  to  overcome, 
even  with  the  best  of  care. 

Warts* 

Warts  are  frequently  a  source  of  annoy- 
ance, chiefly,  however,  from  their  unsightly 
appearance.  They  are  seldom  troublesome 
to  the  dog,  unless  they  come  on  the  eyelid 
or  near  the  genitals.  When  not  too  large, 
they  may  be  safely  removed  by  snipping 
them  off  at  their  base  with  a  sharp  pair  of 
scissors.  If  they  are  in  groups,  it  is  not 
advisable    to    remove    more    than    two    or 


154  Nursing  vs.  Dosing, 

three  at  one  time,  taking  off  a  few  each 
day  or  two  until  they  disappear.  When 
too  large  to  remove  with  the  scissors,  they 
may  be  strangled  by  winding  a  very  small 
and  fine  rubber  band  tightly  around  the 
base  of  the  wart  as  many  times  as  you 
conveniently  can,  and  in  a  day  or  two  it 
will  drop  off  without  further  trouble. 
Should  the  excrescence  be  of  such  shape 
that  the  band  will  not  remain  in  place,  it 
can  be  lightly  scored  at  the  base  with  a 
sharp  knife  In  such  a  manner  that  the  band 
will  hold.  I  have  frequently  removed  un- 
sightly excrescences  by  this  means,  both 
from  men  and  animals,  with  the  best  of  re- 
sults. I  believe  this  method  far  superior 
to  that  of  tying  with  silk,  especially  when 
the  operation  is  intrusted  to  awkward 
hands. 

Warts  may  also  be  safely  removed  by 
lightly  touching  them  once  a  day  with  a 
stick  of  lunar  caustic  until  they  disappear; 
but  this  is  often  rather  a  tedious  operation, 


Common  Ailmejits.  155 

and  I  do  not  advise  it  except  when  the 
morbid  growth  is  too  flat  to  afford Jiolding- 
ground  for  the  rubber  band.  This  cauter- 
ant  is  the  only  one  that  I  dare  advise  the 
inexperienced  to  use ;  In  fact,  I  know  of  no 
other  that  Is  ahvays  reHable  and  perfectly 
safe,  even  when  in  experienced  hands. 

Many  veterinarians  use  other  agents  to 
remove  abnormal  growths,  especially  when 
they  appear  near  the  genitals.  One  of 
these,  chromic  acid,  I  believe  to  be  a  very 
dangerous  substance,  even  w^hen  applied  in 
very  small  quantity.  Experiments  by  emi- 
nent practitioners  show  that  this  acid  read- 
ily enters  the  system,  and  the  result  is  a 
deposit  in  the  kidneys  of  an  irritant  that 
often  causes  serious  harm,  and,  if  the  quan- 
tity used  is  considerable,  death  is  very  apt 
to  ensue.  The  milder  and  equally  effica- 
cious remedies  should  have  the  preference. 

Carbolic  acid  is  also  a  great  favorite  with 
many  for  this  purpose,  but  for  reasons 
already  given  I  must  condemn  its  use. 


156  Nursi7ig  vs.  Dosing, 

"Wounds* 
Wounds  of  a  superficial  character  that 
are  not  too  severe  can  be  properly  attend- 
ed to  by  almost  any  one.  Carefully  wash 
them  with  tepid  water  and  a  soft  sponge 
until  they  are  free  from  all  foreign  sub- 
stances ;  then  leaving  them  entirely  alone 
if  they  are  so  situated  that  the  dog  can 
readily  reach  them  with  his  tongue,  as  this 
member  will  take  better  care  of  the  injury 
than  it  is  possible  for  you  to  do.  If  they 
are  where  he  cannot  reach  them,  they 
should  be  wiped  dry  with  a  soft  cloth  after 
washing  them,  and  dressed  with  some  sim- 
ple salve  by  spreading  it  over  the  entire 
surface  of  the  wound,  repeating  this  once 
or  twice  a  day,  as  may  be  thought  neces- 
sary, for  two  or  three  days,  which  will  be 
all  the  care  necessary  in  most  cases.  When 
the  wound  is  so  extensive  as  to  need  stitch- 
ing together,  it  is  best  to  call  in  the  services 
of  some  one  with  experience,  unless  you 
are  competent  to  perform  the  operation. 


Comiuon  Ailments,  157 

Wounds  that  are  more  than  skin  deep 
should  be  thoroughly  washed  and  cleansed 
from  all  foreign  substances,  taking  especial 
care  to  see  that  not  a  single  hair  Is  left  In 
the  wound,  as  this  Is  a  very  common 
source  of  trouble.  If  the  wound  be  serious, 
it  should  be  drawn  together  with  stitches — 
not  too  close  together — and  covered  with 
three  or  four  thicknesses  of  old  linen,  and 
kept  constantly  wet  with  water  that  is 
moderately  cool.  In  about  four  days.  If 
the  animal  Is  In  good  health,  the  stitches 
should  be  removed,  and  the  wound  dressed 
with  a  little  Iodoform  in  powder,  by  sprin- 
kling It  over  the  entire  surface  and  again 
covering  with  the  wet  linen.  Of  course,  if 
the  wound  is  very  serious  you  should  at 
once  call  in  the  services  of  a  veterinarian 
or  physician. 

Broken  bones  and  dislocations  should 
never  be  meddled  with  by  any  one  not 
qualified  by  education  and  experience  to 
properly   attend    to    them.      In    case,  how- 


158  Nursing  vs.  Dosing. 

ever,  such  accidents  occur  when  at  a  dis- 
tance from  the  required  aid,  you  should 
keep  the  patient  as  quiet  as  possible,  and 
make  no  attempt  to  reduce  the  fracture  or 
dislocation.  At  once  send  for  the  doctor, 
or,  if  convenient,  carry  the  patient  to  him  ; 
always  bearing  in  mind  that  a  few  hours' 
waiting  will  not  cause  the  animal  a  tithe  of 
the  pain  that  unskilled  attempts  to  relieve 
him  are  sure  to  do.  When  any  accident 
occurs  of  so  serious  a  nature  that  it  is  im- 
possible to  save  the  life  of  the  animal,  it  is 
a  mercy  to  him  to  at  once  put  an  end  to 
his  suffering  by  death.  This  I  know,  by 
sad  experience,  is  one  of  the  most  painful 
duties  that  can  well  be  imagined,  and  I  sin- 
cerely hope  that  you  may  never  be  called 
upon  to  part  with  your  loved  companion 
and  friend  under  any  such  truly  heart-rend- 
incr  conditions. 

For  reasons  already  given,  I  shall  not 
attempt  to  describe  the  symptoms  of  many 
obscure  and  complicated  diseases  to  which 


Commojt  Ailments.  159 

dogs  are  subject,  nor  to  prescribe  remedies, 
as  every  serious  case  of  illness  should  be  in 
charo-e  of  some  one  who  is  not  only  thor- 
oughly  qualified  by  education  and  experi- 
ence to  correctly  interpret  the  symptoms 
and  to  prescribe  the  proper  remedies,  but 
able  and  willing  to  properly  direct  the  man- 
agement of  his  patient  as  shall  best  pro- 
mote his  speedy  recovery. 

In  applying  to  practical  use  the  methods 
described  In  these  pages,  it  should  be 
borne  in  mind  that  It  Is  not  a  blind  and 
Implicit  obedience  to  rules  that  will  best 
accomplish  intended  results  so  much  as  an 
intelligent  application  of  the  principles  in- 
volved. It  often  occurs,  even  when  the 
most  comprehensive  directions  are  given, 
that  there  will  be  cases  in  treating  which 
modifications  or  radical  changes  are  de- 
manded. Treatment  that  would  be  entire- 
ly proper  in  some  cases  may  not  be  so  in 
others  that  apparently  are  precisely  similar. 
It  Is  rare  to  find  two  animals  whose  physi- 


i6o  Niirshig  vs.  Dosing, 

cal  conformation  and  temperament  even 
approach  similarity.  It  is  also  rare  to  find 
two  animals  afflicted  with  the  same  disease 
and  manifesting  precisely  similar  symp- 
toms. Although  a  near  approach  to  this 
may  occasionally  be  seen  in  both  cases,  still 
there  are  almost  invariably  differences  that 
will  more  or  less  affect  the  action  of  reme- 
dies, necessitating  slight  or  radical  changes 
in  the  method  of  treatment.  It  is  mainly 
for  this  reason  that  I  insist  that  all  cases  of 
serious  ailment  should  be  in  charge  of 
those  only  who  are  thoroughly  qualified  by 
education  and  experience  not  only  to  cor- 
rectly diagnose  the  case  and  prescribe  the 
proper  remedies,  but  to  determine  from  the 
variation  of  the  symptoms  and  different 
conditions  the  necessary  modification  or 
change  of  treatment  the  case  demands. 

In  closing,  it  will  perhaps  not  be  out  of 
place  to  say  that  a  portion  of  this  work  was 
roughly  outlined  some  years  ago,  with  the 
intention  of  publishing  it  as  a  companion 


Common  Ailments,  i6i 

book  to  my  first  literary  venture,  "Train- 
ing vs.  Breaking";  but  the  cares  of  a  busy 
life  forced  me  to  lay  it  aside  for  awhile,  and 
it  has  not  been  possible,  until  recently,  to 
complete  my  pleasant  task. 

It  is  with  profound  respect  for  the  opin- 
ions of  others  that  I  earnestly  bespeak  for 
my  own  opinions,  as  expressed  in  these 
pages,  careful  consideration  and  unbiased 
judgment,  both  from  the  veteran,  with  his 
years  of  experience  and  extensive  kennel, 
as  well  as  from  the  beginner,  with  his  first 
puppy.  It  is  to  the  latter  class,  however, 
that  I  especially  appeal,  trusting  that  the 
perusal  of  these  pages  may  induce  them  to 
test  the  methods  outlined,  and  that  the  re- 
sult will  be  all  that  could  be  desired  in  add- 
ing to  the  comfort  and  preserving  the 
health  of  their  pets. 


A  WEEKLY  JOURNAL. 


The  Forest  and  Stream  believes  in  the  recreation  to  be  found 
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American  Fishes.  G.  Brown  Goode.  This  is  by  far 
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the  Fishes  of  America,  and  is  a  bock  that  no  angler  who 
takes  pleasure  in  knowing  the  fishes  which  afford  him  sport 
can  afford  to  miss,  500  pages,  profusely  illustrated.  Price, 
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Book  of  tlie  Black  Bass.  IIensiiall.  Dr.  Henshall's 
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Canoe  and  Boat  Building.  Fourth  and  Enlarged 
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envelope.     Price,  $2.00. 

Canoe  Handling.  Bv  C.  Bowyer  Vaux  ("Dot").  A 
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Training"  a^s.  Breaking.  By  S.  T.  Hammond.  This  is 
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fully train  their  hunting  dogs.  It  teaches  how  to  bring  out 
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Has  a  chapter  on  the  training  of  pet  dogs,  and  another  on 
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Monographs  on  Dogs: 

The  Collie — Its  Histor)'.  Points,  Breeding  and  Rear 
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Price,  $1.00. 

The' Fox-Terrier. — Its  History,  Points,  Breeding  and 
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The  St.  Bernard. — Its  History,  Points,  Breeding  and 
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volume  is  a  life-colored  portrait  of  the  famous  Plinlimmon 
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Price,  $1.25. 

The  Greyhound. — Its  History,  Points,  Breeding,  Rear- 
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pages.     Colored  plates.      Price,  $1.25. 

History  of  the  Mastiff.  By  M.  B.  Wynn.  Mr. 
Wynn  is  the  recognized  leading  authority  on  the  mastiff  in 
England.     Cloth,  222  pages.      Price,  )Jn2.50. 

Pocket  Kennel  Record,  A  handy  and  convenient 
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grees, visits,  sales,  etc.,  etc.,  those  particulars  which,  when 
one  has  forgotten,  he  would  sometimes  give  dollars  to  re- 
call.    Price,  50  cents. 

Charley's  Wonderful  Journeys.  By  C.  F.  Amery. 
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into  Dreamland.  Profusely  illustrated.  Cloth.  Imperial 
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The  Still-Hunter.  By  T.  S.  Van  Dyke.  A  practical 
treatise  of  deer  stalking.     390  pages.     Price,  $2.00. 


Game  Laws  in  Brief.  United  States  and  Canada. 
Gives  the  sections  relative  to  game  and  fish  seasons,  limit  of 
size  or  number,  non-residents,  transportation,  etc.  All  in 
brief,  but  full  enough  for  the  practical  guidance  oisYtorisvci^n 
and  anglers.  Carefully  compiled,  and  shorn  of  verbiage  by 
Chas.  B.  Reynolds  of  Fon-st  and  Sfrea.'n.  A  standard 
work  of  reference.     Handsomely  illustrated.     Price  25  cts. 

Field,  Cover  and  Trap-Shooting.  By  Capt.  Adam 
H.  Bogardus,  Champion  Wing  Shot  of  the  World.  Em- 
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sorts of  water  fowl;  breeding  and  breaking  of  dogs.  With 
an  appendix.  Cloth,  493  pages.  Price  $2.  We  take  pleas- 
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"  Field,  Cover  and  Trap-Shooting"  is  a  book  of  instruction, 
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The  Spaniel  and  Its  Training".   By  F.  H.  F.  Mercer. 

To  which  are  added  the  American  and  English  Spaniel 
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Fly-Fishing-  and  Fly-Making  tor  Trout,  Etc. 

By  J.  Harrington  Keene.  With  plates  of  the  actual 
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Cloth,  113  pages.     Price  $1.50. 

The  Collie.  By  Rawdon  B.  Lee.  Illustrated.  A  handsome 
and  well  written  book.     Price  $1.50. 


The  Art  of  ShootiDg,  An  Illustrated  Treatise  on  the 
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By  Charles  Lancaster.  Illustrated  with  numerous 
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New  edition.  A  treatise  prepared  to  meet  the  special  re- 
quirements of  those  who  are  anxious  to  become  proficient 
in  the  art,  and  who  have  hitherto  been  unable  to  obtain,  in 
a  precise  form,  the  information  necessary  for  studying  the 
first  principles  of  shooting  at  moving  objects. 

More  About  the  Bhick  Bass.  Being  a  supplement 
to  the  "Book  of  the  Black  Bass."  By  James  A.  Hen- 
shall,  M.D.  Fully  illustrated.  Cloth,  204  pages.  Price, 
$1.50.  The  author's  aim  is  to  bring  the  subject  matter 
down  to  date,  including  the  natural  history  and  game 
qualities  of  the  fish;  tools,  tackle  and  implements;  and 
added  chapters  on  angling  and  fly-fishing.  It  is  specially 
full  in  detail  of  the  new  improvements  in  reels  and  rods 
manufactured  for  bass  fishing. 

Modern  Training;  Handling  and  Kennel  Manage- 
^^•:NT.  By  B.  Waters.  Illustrated.  Cloth,  373  pages. 
Price,  $2.00.  This  treatise  is  after  the  modern  professional 
system  of  training.  It  combines  the  excellence  of  both  the 
suasive  and  force  systems  of  education,  and  contains  an 
exhaustive  description  of  the  uses  and  abuses  of  the  spike 
collar. 

The  Story  of  the  Indian.  By  George  Bird  Grin- 
NELL,  author  of  "  Pawnee  Hero  Stories,"  "Blackfoot  Lodge 
Tales,"  etc.  Cloth,  $1.50.  The  object  of  this  series  is  to 
preserve  the  picturesque  and  individual  types  of  a  life  in  the 
real  West  which  is  rapidly  fading  away,  and  to  offer  the 
romantic  stories  of  the  Indian,  explorer,  cowboy,  miner, 
soldier,  and  other  representative  figures  in  a  permanent 
form.  Mr.  Grinnell's  intimate  personal  knowledge  of  his 
subject  has  enabled  him  to  draw  an  admirably  graphic 
picture  of  the  actual  Indian. 


Blackfoot  Lodge-Tales;  The  Story  of  a  Prairie 
People.  By  George  Bird  Grinnell,  author  of  "Paw- 
nee Hero  Stories  and  Folk-Tales."  Cloth,  310  pages. 
Price,  $1.75.  Mr.  Grinnell's  collection  of  Blackfoot  stories 
is  one  of  extraordinary  interest  to  all  readers.  It  tells  of  a 
race  of  people  whose  life  was  out  of  doors,  who  depended 
for  their  living  on  the  chase,  whose  study  was  the  wild  ani- 
mals which  furnished  them  subsistence,  and  the  wild  tribes 
which  surrounded  them.  These  stories,  taken  down  from 
the  lips  of  the  old  men  and  the  brave  warriors,  are  fascin- 
ating in  their  honesty  of  narration,  in  the  scenes  of  horror 
which  they  sometimes  conjure  up,  the  weird  poetic  turn  they 
often  take,  and  cheerful  matter-of-fact  way  in  which  some 
incredible  piece  of  bravery  is  disposed  of.  While  the  first 
half  of  the  book  is  devoted  to  stories  current  among  the 
people,  the  second  is  given  up  to  a  discussion  of  their 
habits,  customs  and  ways  of  life.  It  presents  a  series  of 
graphic  pictures  of  savage  life  in  peace  and  war,  and 
throws  a  flash  of  light  on  the  ways  of  the  tribe  to-day, 
and  on  ancient  customs  which  have  now  passed  out  of 
existence. 

House  and  Pet  Dog's;  Their  Selection,  Care  and 
Training.  The  purpose  of  the  book  is  to  supply  hints  and 
instruction  concerning  the  management  of  house  and  pet 
dogs.  What  is  here  written  is  all  the  fruit  of  practical  and 
extended  experience  with  these  classes  of  dogs.  Several  of 
the  chapters  have  been  written  by  a  feminine  pen,  and  will 
be  especially  valued  by  ladies.     Price  50  cts. 

The  Fox-Terrier..  History  and  Description,  with  Remi- 
niscences. By  R.  B.  Lee,  Kennel  Editor  London  Field. 
New  and  enlarged  edition.  Fifteen  portraits  and  illustra- 
tions; 180  pages.  The  book  is  very  pleasantly  written  and 
contains  a  vast  amount  of  useful  information  regarding  the 
history  and  characteristics  of  the  breed,  useful  not  only  to 
the  new  beginner  but  to  the  most  experienced  fancier  as 
well.     Price  $2.00 


Ropes,  Their  Kuots  and  Splices.  A  manual  of  in- 
struction for  sailormen  and  canoeists  in  marlinspike  sea- 
manship, knots,  bends,  rig-ging,  ropes  and  cordage.  From 
notes  by  the  late  C.  P.  Kunhardt.  Illustrated.  Cloth,  60 
pages.  Price.  50  cents.  It  gives  complete  instruction, 
illustrated  by  numerous  cuts,  in  all  sorts  of  knots  and  bends 
of  ropes,  and  contains  also  a  chapter  on  rigging.  Origin- 
ally prepared  for  a  contemplated  book  by  the  late  C.  P. 
Kunhardt,  a  practical  seaman,  for  many  years  yachting 
editor  of  Forest  ami  Stream,  and  the  author  of  many  works 
on  yachting. 

Fnizer's  Boat  Sailing-.  Management  of  small  boats 
and  yachts  under  all  circumstances.     Cloth.     Price,  $1.00. 

Dog^s,  Their  Mauagemeut   and   Treatment   in 

I>lseases.  15v  Ashmo.m.  This  is  one  of  the  most 
valuable  treatises  on  canine  management  and  therapeutics 
that  has  appeared  on  this  side  of  the  water.  Cloth,  208 
pages.      Price,  !t;2.oo. 

Diseases  of  Dags.  Ilrcii  Dalziel,  the  author,  is  one 
of  the  first  Pritish  authorities  on  dogs.  Mr.  Dalziel's  work 
is  justly  ranked  among  the  most  important  of  those  devoted 
to  canine  matters.     Cloth,  1 16  pages.      Price,  80  cents. 

First  TjessoDs  in  Training.  With  Points  and  Stan- 
dards OF  ALL  Breeds  of  Dogs. — This  has  the  first  two 
chapters  of  Hammond's  "Training  vs.  Breaking,"  printed 
in  this  shape  in  response  to  a  call  for  a  cheap  book.  It 
gives  also  "  Stonehenge's"  points  for  judging  dogs,  and 
standards  adopted  by  specialty  clubs;  it  is  the  only  ccmpiK 
ation  that  is  complete  to  date.  Paper,  106  pages.  Price, 
50  cents. 

Breeders'  and  Exhibitors*  Kennel  Record.    A 

blank  book  of  great  value  to  owners  of  kennels,  enabling 
them  to  keep  a  perfect  record  of  the  pedigree  of  their  stock, 
the  prizes  won,  stud  visits,  expense  account,  and  many 
other  items  of  interest.  Price,  3.00.  Sample  pages  on  ap- 
plication. 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 


;^;j^']  rr!\n^A'fr 


le  last  date  stamp 


This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or 
on  the  date  to  which  renewed. 

Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


;Jl2i'M2 

r,  V    .     .   \  1 

'33FIII 

MAY  1  y  1966 

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MAY  -  ^  1<571 

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MAY  4     197115'^ 

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LD  21-50m-12,'61 


General  Library 
TTnJvfTsifv  f>f  California 


C04sfl3aam 


697647 


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